Journal of Qualitative Research in Education

Mathematics Teachers' Experiences of Positive Error Climate

Senem Kalaç — 2024-04-30

In the qualitative case study in which the question, "What are teachers' views on the applicability of positive error climate in the classroom?" was sought to be answered, 19 mathematics teachers working in different provinces of Turkey, having more than five years of professional experience and receiving master's degree education constituted the study group. Before this study, teachers' attitudes and behaviors toward errors were taken in writing. At the end of the eleven-week implementation, the teachers' opinions about the implementation were obtained through interviews, and content analysis was applied to the data with MAXQDA. 2020. Under the theme of positive error climate experience, teachers evaluated the application as effective, fun, providing permanent learning and increasing self-confidence. On the other hand, they stated the negative aspects as insufficient time, difficulties in classroom management, and causing mislearning. Seventeen participants stated that they would use the error climate in their classrooms.

Examining Preschool Children’s Perceptions of School

Oğuz Serdar Kesicioğlu — 2024-04-30

The study employed a qualitative case study design to explore preschool children’s perceptions of school. The research involved 100 children aged 5–6 years from five different kindergartens during the fall semester of the 2022–2023 academic year. Data were collected through the ‘School Perception Interview Form’ and ‘School Picture Drawings’ to explore the children’s perceptions. To comprehensively analyze the collected data, the study employed content analysis, a common method used in qualitative data analysis. The content analysis process involved four stages: coding the data, identifying themes, organizing codes and themes, and describing and interpreting the findings. The study findings revealed that the children perceived school as a place for learning new things and experiencing happiness. Their favorite activity was art, and they enjoyed the school’s garden area. They preferred Lego/blocks and puzzles the most. Overall, they exhibited a positive attitude toward attending school, and their drawings depicted school buildings.

High School Teachers' Opinions on Homework

Adalet Ömeroğlu — 2024-04-30

The research aims to examine the opinions of high school teachers about homework. The researchers designed the study as a phenomenology design, a qualitative research method. The researchers developed a semi-structured interview form as a data collection tool in the study. Six branch teachers working in three different types of high schools, namely Vocational High School, Anatolian High School, and Project-Based Science High School in Erzurum city centre during the 2021-2022 academic year, voluntarily participated. They were included in the research using the maximum diversity sampling method. The researchers examined the data obtained using the thematic analysis method. As a result of the analysis, while there were general differences in our teachers' opinions about homework, similarities were seen in using homework as a measurement-evaluation tool. Notably, homework, which serves as an essential method in the educational process, exhibits profound differences among teachers and students. These differences encompass a broad spectrum, spanning from the type of school to the type of course, encompassing how homework is implemented and the approaches students take towards it. Furthermore, the researchers have identified that the primary motivation for completing homework in high school either stems from anxiety about receiving grades or arises from the preference of senior students for a single type of homework (question-solving) as they strive to prepare for university exams.

Ageless Wisdom: A Cross-Cultural Study on Enhancing Life Satisfaction through Skills Promotion among Older Adults

Nesrin Oruc Ertürk — 2024-04-30

This article explores the pervasive issue of ageism and its detrimental effects on the elderly population. Ageism or the prejudice and discrimination against older adults based on their age, can have significant impact on their well-being and life satisfaction. However, the article also delves into the potential positive effects of continuous learning on reducing ageism and enhancing the life satisfaction of the elderly. As a proactive approach, lifelong learning presents an opportunity for the elderly to challenge stereotypes, remain engaged in society, and foster personal growth. This study highlights how training and educational programs can empower older adults, instilling a sense of purpose and accomplishment, leading to a more fulfilled and satisfying life in their later years. The main purpose was to investigate how continuous learning affects the lives and life satisfaction perception of elderly people over the age of 65 from Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey after one week and 25 hours of technology, art and psychotherapy trainings that are believed to support them in every aspect of life.

Evaluation of Quiet Quitting: Is the Bell Ringing?

Hamit Özen — 2024-04-30

This study empirically explores the concept of Quite Quitting (QQ), which is defined as the factors that prevent teachers from feeling a sense of belonging to their profession despite their efforts in school settings. It also identifies the reasons why teachers do not feel engaged in their profession and the types of disengagement behaviors they exhibit. In this research, mixed research methods were employed, among which the exploratory sequential design was utilized. The design comprised two phases, the first being phenomenology with 32, and the second being the quantitative phase with 447 teachers in the Eskişehir region of Turkiye. The results provided evidence that although the QQ phenomenon was a post-pandemic trauma that occurred especially in Generation Z, the findings showed that QQ had very different dimensions in Turkiye and that its origins were deeper. The interpretation followed the four factors of QQ: management factors, social factors, economic factors, and factors that affected teachers' well-being. As aftereffects, teachers showed emotional distance, simurg effect, apathy, and revenge from the student. The conclusions and recommendations were discussed.

Parent Opinions Regarding The Services Received In Special Education And Rehabilitation Centers For Individuals With Multiple Disabilities

Evgin Çay — 2024-04-30

Individuals with multiple disabilities (MD) could receive services from different institutions throughout their lives. One of these institutions is Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers. Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers provide various services to individuals with MD. The quality of these services affects the quality of life of both the children with MD and their parents. Therefore, this study aims to determine the views of parents on the services received by the individuals with MD from Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers. Eleven female and two male parents participated in this study. The study was designed with the phenomenology pattern, one of the qualitative research methods, and data were collected with the semi-structured interview technique. The interviews lasted between 12 and 18 minutes. The data obtained from the interviews was analyzed with the descriptive analysis technique. The findings showed that parents receive various support services from Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers for both themselves and the individuals with MD, they were very content with the education and physiotherapy services provided by the institutions, and these services were very effective and beneficial for their children and themselves. In addition, it was concluded that the duration of the education services provided was too short and insufficient for their children that the state should support such institutions and that they wanted their children to be hired in a job within their competence.

Academic Self-problems of Candidate Teachers of Native Language: “I am not sure what or how to learn.” But I must be sure of what I can teach.”

Sezgin Demir — 2024-04-30

Academic self-concept is an individuals’ self-definition using their experiences in the educational process or their views on their own skills and interests. This study aims to determine the academic self-perception of teacher candidates of native language. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach in a phenomenological design. The study group consisted of 10 female and 6 male native language teacher candidates at a university located in the eastern part of Turkey. During the data collection process, semi-structured interviews were conducted with open-ended questions, the data collected with a voice recorder was converted into a written text. Participant views were subjected to content analysis. The first, last, and focus codings were completed for “coder reliability;” and an external controller was also used. In this study, the data source was diversified with reminder notes and observation reports for stability and transparency. The findings revealed that most participants had high verbal abilities and interests, and weak numerical abilities and interests. Additionally, the views that they were unable to make the right choices in line with their abilities and interests and therefore could not achieve their academic self-concept and goals are remarkable.

Native Chinese Language Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Chinese Abroad

Mariam Aftab — 2024-04-30

The impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) expansion has changed the dynamics of foreign language learning in Pakistan. Due to the increased regional importance of Chinese language, some public and private sector universities are offering Chinese as a compulsory language course at the undergraduate level. Due to the significance of forthcoming opportunities for local youth, one public university in Karachi, Pakistan hired native Chinese teachers to teach undergraduate students Chinese as a foreign language. The present study explored the beliefs of Chinese teachers based on their teaching experiences at the university. Data for this collective case study was collected through semi-structured interviews with three native-Chinese teachers and analysed thematically. The findings revealed that the Chinese teachers held positive beliefs about the prospects of Chinese language learning in Pakistan due to job opportunities. However, they seemed to hold reservations regarding the limited time span for the offered Chinese language course. There were also certain negative beliefs in connection with the traditional learning practices of the learners which the teachers considered barriers to the learners’ language learning. These findings depict the requisite exigency to address the issues highlighted by the Chinese teachers for effective Chinese language learning. The beliefs of teachers and their shared experiences need to be addressed for productive development in teaching and learning Chinese. Curriculum designers and decisionmakers should consider teachers’ beliefs to align the curriculum and teaching methodologies as per the provision that includes teachers’ experiences to further improve Chinese language teaching and learning.

Work Engagement: A Descriptive Qualitative Study on the perception of teachers

Begoña María Tortosa Martínez — 2024-04-30

Work engagement is a state of mental motivation that allows workers to achieve success in the workplace. However, due to high work demands and exhaustion, teachers might find it difficult to engage in work. Teachers can develop work engagement if they intervene in the barriers that prevent them from doing their work by providing facilitators. The aim of this study was to describe teachers' perceptions of work engagement at different stages of education. A descriptive qualitative study was designed. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 26 Spanish teachers. Three main themes and six sub-themes emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) Causes of the generation of work engagement: personal facilitators and facilitators of the environment; (2) Barriers to generating work engagement: individual and environmental; (3) Effects of work engagement: positive consequences and negative consequences. These findings indicate that there are several facilitators and barriers that promote and/or hinder the generation of work engagement in Spanish teachers. However, it should be noted that the study presents transferable results for other countries dealing with similar issues. In conclusion, training teachers in certain skills would improve their ability to solve complex situations and increase their levels of work engagement.

Alternative E-Assessment in Language Classes: Recent Experiences and Future Directions

Esin Çağlayan — 2024-04-30

This study aimed to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' perceptions regarding alternative e-assessments in the Turkish tertiary level context. The study utilized semi-structured interviews with a sample of EFL instructors from 17 higher education institutions in Türkiye. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify emerging themes. The results revealed varying perceptions about alternative e-assessments, with six primary themes emerging: impact on learning, workload, academic integrity, digital technology, grading and feedback, and assessment competence. Overall, this qualitative study provides valuable insights into the perceptions of EFL teachers regarding alternative e-assessments, highlighting key areas of concern. The study emphasizes the need to address these concerns in professional development programs that provide teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively implement alternative e-assessments. The results also have implications for the development of effective assessment policies and procedures, optimizing educational practices in the digital age.