The present study examines the longitudinal effects of the Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Program (LFFLAP) on children who were attending public preschool education. The sample of the study consists of two groups of students studying in a public school in the Selçuklu district of Konya. During the follow-up period, the experimental group children did not receive any other English language education until the 2nd grade. The control group children, who never had any foreign language education, started to learn English in 2nd grade for the first time via the Ministry of National Education Program. The Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Scale was used to assess the level of English language acquisition of students. Non-parametric statistical techniques were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, the meaningful differences between the control and experimental group students in the beginning disappeared gradually by the time they reached 4th grade. Based on the findings and results of this research elementary school foreign language classes can be increased from two hours a week to five hours a week (as in one hour a day) and the foreign language teachers can use the target language in their classes instead of the native one.
In this study, the effect of science and research ethics course on preschool teacher candidates’ possible plagiarism behaviors was examined. Fifteen teacher candidates were asked to prepare a written assignment (pre-test) before the start of the course. Similarly, a second written assignment (post-test) was taken at the end of the course which took approximately 12 weeks. Both assignments received from teacher candidates were evaluated in two similarity/plagiarism software programs and the similarity rates of each student's homework were calculated as a percentage. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was used to test whether there was a significant difference between these percentage scores in terms of pre-test and post-test. In addition, teacher candidates’ pre-test and post-test assignments were subjected to document analysis in the context of the matches determined by similarity/plagiarism software programs. According to the findings of the study, it was seen that science and research ethics course could have an effect on possible plagiarism behaviors of teacher candidates. The findings of the study were discussed regarding similarity/plagiarism software programs, course period and literature. Suggestions were made to help teacher candidates and to those who are concerned about avoiding unethical practices.
Designing scales for preschool children in order to promote their foreign language acquisition is a complex struggle that likely involves efforts at many stages within the process of early childhood education. There is a wide range of options currently being considered for how to best measure children's foreign language learning. The use of scientifically validated language scale is regarded as an important method. Despite a large body of evidence in terms of reliable indicators of foreign language acquisition in preschool children, there has not been a standardized, quick, easy, functional and life-based scale. The purpose of the present study was to develop a valid and reliable "Life-Focused Foreign Language Acquisition Scale" (LFFLAS) for the evaluation of foreign language proficiency of preschool children who are 50-74 months-old. The study was conducted in the general survey model. 120 children from private kindergartens affiliated with the Konya National Education Directorate participated in the study. Findings related to the construct validity of the scale were obtained by factor analysis method. Based on Tetrachoric Factor Analysis, 4 sub-dimensions were found. Findings related to the reliability of the scale were obtained with the KR 20 (internal consistency) and score invariance techniques. The findings of the study revealed that the reliability coefficients related to internal consistency and score invariance of sub-scales related to LFFLAS were sufficient and the scale is valid and reliable in measuring preschool children's foreign language acquisition. There were significant differences in the sub-scales of the scale depending on gender and age variables.
The present study is conducted to examine how foreign language education may affect preschool children's native language development. The study was carried out with 70 children who were 48-60 months-old and attending a public preschool in Alanya, a district of Antalya, in Turkey. The Solomon Four-Group Design was used. Children’s native language skills were assessed via the Turkish Early Language Development Test (Tedil-3) and the experimental process took 8 weeks. Mann Whitney U and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Tests were used in the analysis of the data as the data did not show normal distribution. After determining the effect of the experimental procedure, the children included in the control groups were subjected to the same experimental procedure for 8 weeks under the “right to benefit from the experiment process” which has never been applied before in any studies in Turkey. The findings were discussed within the framework of the literature and various suggestions were presented.
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