View Original - Middle East Technical University

166 Pages·2008·0.96 MB·English

EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS
ABOUT THE NEW 4-YEAR ANATOLIAN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH PROGRAM

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES
OF
MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY

HANDE KEFELI

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

July, 2008
Approval of the Graduate School Social Sciences

Prof. Dr. Sencer Ayata
Director

I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master
of Science.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Oya Yerin Güneri
Head of Dep.

This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate,
in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ok
Supervisor

Examining Committee Members

Assoc. Prof. Dr.Ay(cid:1)egül Dalo(cid:2)lu (METU, FLE)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ok (METU, EDS)
Assist. Prof. Dr.Hanife Akar (METU, EDS)
I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and
presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare
that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all
material and results that are not original to this work.

Name, Last name : HANDE KEFELI
Signature :

iii
ABSTRACT

EXPLORING THE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS
ABOUT THE NEW 4-YEAR ANATOLIAN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH PROGRAM

KEFELI, Hande
MS, Department of Educational Sciences
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet OK
July 2008, 150 pages

With the newly designed curricula, the preparatory year of the Anatolian High Schools
(AHS) was terminated while expanding its English program to four years. Within that
context, utilizing semi-structured interview protocols this descriptive study aimed to
bring an insight into the perceptions of parents, students, and teachers about the new
AHS English program. Moreover, the perceptions of the participants on the materials
provided by MONE and European Language Portfolio were also aimed to be revealed.
Additionally, it was targeted to bring out what participants think about the applicability
of the communicative language teaching, student-centered approach, and multiple
intelligences, since they were stated in the foreign language curricula. While the
population consisted of AHSs in Ankara, the sample of the study made up of 4 groups of
parents, students, and teachers from 4 AHSs in Ankara. Each group consisted of 12
interviewees, which makes 36 participants in total. In selecting students and parents
convenience sampling, and in selecting teachers purposive sampling was utilized.
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Analyzing the data collected using content analysis the findings revealed that parents,
students, and teachers do not favor the current English language practice in AHSs where
preparatory class is terminated. Additionally, the findings showed that in order to learn
English, preparatory class is a necessity either after 5-year or after8-year elementary
education. Results also showed that all groups perceive English positively and support
teaching and learning of the language. As for the perceptions of the participants on the
materials, they expressed how insufficient they are in terms of teaching the language and
in terms of practicing the language teaching approaches stated in the curriculum.
Moreover, it was found that most of the participants did not know about the European
Language Portfolio. Lastly, according to the answers, the English language teaching
approaches stressed in the curriculum were difficult to be practiced in classes.

Keywords: Anatolian high school preparatory class; English language teaching;
communicative language teaching; student-centered approach, multiple intelligences

v
ÖZ

Ö(cid:1)RETMENLER(cid:2)N, Ö(cid:1)RENC(cid:2)LER(cid:2)N VE VEL(cid:2)LER(cid:2)N YEN(cid:2) 4 YILLIK ANADOLU
L(cid:2)SES(cid:2) (cid:2)NG(cid:2)L(cid:2)ZCE PROGRAMI HAKKINDAK(cid:2) GÖRÜ(cid:3)LER(cid:2)N(cid:2)N (cid:2)NCELENMES(cid:2)

KEFELI, Hande
Yüksek Lisans, E(cid:4)itim Bilimleri Bölümü
Tez yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Ahmet OK
Temmuz 2008, 150 sayfa

Dört yıla yayılan yeni düzenlenmi(cid:5) lise programı çerçevesinde Anadolu liselerinde
(cid:2)ngilizce hazırlık sınıfı kaldırılarak bu sınıfın programı dört yıla yayılmı(cid:5)tır. Bu
betimsel çalı(cid:5)ma ile ö(cid:4)retmenlerin, ö(cid:4)rencilerin ve velilerin yeni lise (cid:2)ngilizce programı
uygulaması hakkındaki dü(cid:5)üncelerinin nitel ara(cid:5)tırma yöntemi ile incelenmesi
amaçlanmaktadır. Bununla beraber Milli E(cid:4)itim Bakanlı(cid:4)ı’nın sa(cid:4)lamı(cid:5) oldu(cid:4)u
materyaller ve Avrupa Dil Pasaportu ile ilgili görü(cid:5)lerinde ortaya konulması amaç
edinilmi(cid:5)tir. Bunlara ek olarak çalı(cid:5)manın yabancı dil programında belirtilen ileti(cid:5)imsel
yakla(cid:5)ım, ö(cid:4)renci merkezli ö(cid:4)retim ve çoklu zeka kuramı konularına da ı(cid:5)ık tutması
hedeflenmektedir. Böylesi bir programın ve uygulamanın yeni olması sebebi ile öznel
fikirlerin ortaya konulması ve alanla ilgili önemli hususların açı(cid:4)a çıkması amacı ile
çalı(cid:5)mada görü(cid:5)me yöntemi kullanılmı(cid:5)tır. Çalı(cid:5)manın evreni Ankara’daki Anadolu
Liselerinden olu(cid:5)urken, örneklem buna parallel olarak Ankara’da bulunan 4 Anadolu
Lisesinden seçilmi(cid:5) üçer kisilik veli, ö(cid:4)renci ve ö(cid:4)retmen guruplarından olu(cid:5)maktadır.
Dolayısı ile toplamda 36 ki(cid:5)ilik bir örneklem bu çalı(cid:5)mada kullanılmı(cid:5)tır. Ö(cid:4)renci ve
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velileri seçerken uygun örneklem, ö(cid:4)retmenleri seçerken ise amaçlı örneklem yöntemi
kullanılmı(cid:5)tır.

Yarı yapılandırılmı(cid:5) görü(cid:5)meler aracılı(cid:4)ıyla toplanan veriler içerik analizine tabi
tutulmu(cid:5)tur. Yapılan calı(cid:5)mada sonuçlar göstermi(cid:5)tir ki velilerin, ö(cid:4)rencilerin ve
ö(cid:4)retmenlerin ço(cid:4)unlu(cid:4)u Anadolu Liselerindeki (cid:2)ngilizce hazırlık sınıfının
kaldırılmasını onaylamıyor. Bununla birlikte katılımcıların ço(cid:4)unlu(cid:4)undan elde edilen
veriler (cid:2)ngilizce ö(cid:4)renmek için hazırlık sınıfının gerek 5 yıllık gerekse 8 yıllık zorunlu
ilko(cid:4)retim sonrasında olması gerekti(cid:4)ini göstermektedir. Bulgular ayrıca katılımcıların
büyük ço(cid:4)unlu(cid:4)unun (cid:2)ngilizceye ve (cid:2)ngilizce e(cid:4)itim ve ö(cid:4)retime olumlu baktıklarınıda
göstermi(cid:5)tir. Katılımcıların Milli E(cid:4)itim Bakanlı(cid:4)ınca sa(cid:4)lanan materyaller ile ilgili
görü(cid:5)leri ise bunların gerek dil ö(cid:4)retiminde gerekse programında geçen dil ö(cid:4)retim
yöntemlerinin uygulanmasında yetersizlikler oldu(cid:4)unu gösterilmi(cid:5)tir. Bunlara ek olarak
Avrupa Dil Portfoloysu ile ilgili de katılımcıların büyük ço(cid:4)unlu(cid:4)unun konu hakkında
desteklenme ihtiyacı içinde oldukları ortaya çıkmı(cid:5)tır. Çalı(cid:5)madan elde edilen di(cid:4)er bir
sonuç ise (cid:2)ngilizce ö(cid:4)retiminde kullanılması öngörülen yöntemlerin (ileti(cid:5)imsel
yakla(cid:5)ım, ö(cid:4)renci merkezli ö(cid:4)retim ve çoklu zeka kuramı) sınıf içinde yeterince
uygulanamadı(cid:4)ıdır.

Anahtar Sözcükler: Anadolu liseleri hazırlık sınıfı, (cid:2)ngilizce ö(cid:4)retimi, ileti(cid:5)imsel
yakla(cid:5)ım, ö(cid:4)renci merkezli ö(cid:4)retim ve çoklu zeka kuramı

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Dedicated to my parents, my brother, and my

fiancé who stood by me all the way…

As appreciation of their love, endorsement, and

encouragement…

Thank you!

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It has been said that life is a journey along which one learns, lives, enjoys. As a part of
this journey, the entire process of preparing thesis takes place through which I have been
inspired and enlightened. For such a memorable phase of life, the process of obtaining a
thesis would not have been possible without the guidance, support, encouragement, and
patience of my advisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet OK. He guided me through this process
by sharing his many valuable suggestions for improving the quality of the study. In
addition, many thanks to all those who kindly gave their time to review the interviews
and the codes. I also would like to extend my appreciation to the committee members,
Aysegül DALO(cid:1)LU and Hanife AKAR.

In particular, many thanks to the participants since without their willingness to take time
from their busy schedules to participate in interviews, this study could not have taken
place. I also would like to express my sincere thanks to the administrators of the schools
who did their best to find me interviewees. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude
to the officers in MONE for helping me to take the quickest permission.

Special thanks go to my parents, Fügen and Gürkan, for their continuing moral and
emotional support. I am very grateful to my family who provided me the opportunity to
study and supported me in every stage of my degree. Their reinforcement and
endorsement have kept me going over the degree. In addition, without the support of my
brother Ali, finding articles form the endless sea of studies would have been very
difficult. With his constant companion through out the process, he shared every
document he found without complaining. I also owe much to my grandmother, Emine,
who always heartened me by praying and by giving me enthusiasm and courage.

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Lastly, my heartfelt appreciation goes to my fiancé, Murat. With his care, affection,
optimism, humor and patience, he kept the spirit alive when it was needed the most. I
also wish to address a very warm "thank you" to the Çalık family who always stood
beside me during the preparation period.

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