Papers by Gülfem S Koca
Beliefs are a central construct in every field, which deals with human behavior and learning. Sp... more Beliefs are a central construct in every field, which deals with human behavior and learning. Specifically, beliefs influence learners’ attitude towards learning and development in that language. The aim of the study was to find out beliefs of English language learners in a private high school towards language learning. This paper reports on a study that investigated a sample of 80 high school students’ beliefs about language learning., The study obtained data using quantitative research methods. Participants reported their responses to a 34-item Horwitz’s Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory. The results indicate that high school students hold diverse beliefs about language learning such as “women are better than men at learning foreign languages” or “everyone can learn to speak a foreign language”. However, the mean score of each item reveals an acceptable interpretation in accordance with its category. This study shows that high school students in a private school hold discrete beliefs about language learning both similar to and different from those reported earlier within similar contexts.
Thesis Chapters by Gülfem S Koca
Drawing from a sociocultural framework, the purpose of this study is to investigate peer teaching... more Drawing from a sociocultural framework, the purpose of this study is to investigate peer teaching and its implications on middle-school EFL learners’ writing motivation. Based on the problems such as the ineffectiveness of the approaches used to teach writing in EFL primary education, the aim is to integrate peer-teaching practices with writing.
The study followed a sequential exploratory mixed-method design; by collecting qualitative data initially, and following with quantitative data. The study was carried out with 24 students (12 pairs) studying in seventh grade in a private middle school in Gaziantep. The participants were trained under the framework of process-oriented writing for 10-weeks. At first, at the beginning of the term (September) the writing samples of the students were collected. Students were asked to write a descriptive paragraph individually. Second, students were paired up and the pairs completed the steps of the process approach. Students had the chances to choose their partners, in order to reduce anxiety problems. Students completed eight writing tasks, which involved writing descriptive and narrative paragraphs. In terms of data collection instruments, semi-structured interviews with 22 questions were utilized, and then, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was employed. The researcher transcribed the data collected from the interviewers through pattern coding. Subsequently, the data collected through a questionnaire was computed via SPSS software version 23, and descriptive analyses were presented. Based on the results and findings, learners reflected the benefits of peer teaching and process approach to their writing. Participants mentioned that this implementation enhanced their self-assessment skills, language awareness and capabilities to give feedback.
The descriptive results from the Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire (AWMQ) showed that peer teaching increased students motivation to write and confirmed the benefits. The conclusions made from the study were that peer teaching encourages students’ motivation to develop their writing skill and social relationships with their peers, which builds their confidence in learning English.
Uploads
Papers by Gülfem S Koca
Thesis Chapters by Gülfem S Koca
The study followed a sequential exploratory mixed-method design; by collecting qualitative data initially, and following with quantitative data. The study was carried out with 24 students (12 pairs) studying in seventh grade in a private middle school in Gaziantep. The participants were trained under the framework of process-oriented writing for 10-weeks. At first, at the beginning of the term (September) the writing samples of the students were collected. Students were asked to write a descriptive paragraph individually. Second, students were paired up and the pairs completed the steps of the process approach. Students had the chances to choose their partners, in order to reduce anxiety problems. Students completed eight writing tasks, which involved writing descriptive and narrative paragraphs. In terms of data collection instruments, semi-structured interviews with 22 questions were utilized, and then, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was employed. The researcher transcribed the data collected from the interviewers through pattern coding. Subsequently, the data collected through a questionnaire was computed via SPSS software version 23, and descriptive analyses were presented. Based on the results and findings, learners reflected the benefits of peer teaching and process approach to their writing. Participants mentioned that this implementation enhanced their self-assessment skills, language awareness and capabilities to give feedback.
The descriptive results from the Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire (AWMQ) showed that peer teaching increased students motivation to write and confirmed the benefits. The conclusions made from the study were that peer teaching encourages students’ motivation to develop their writing skill and social relationships with their peers, which builds their confidence in learning English.
The study followed a sequential exploratory mixed-method design; by collecting qualitative data initially, and following with quantitative data. The study was carried out with 24 students (12 pairs) studying in seventh grade in a private middle school in Gaziantep. The participants were trained under the framework of process-oriented writing for 10-weeks. At first, at the beginning of the term (September) the writing samples of the students were collected. Students were asked to write a descriptive paragraph individually. Second, students were paired up and the pairs completed the steps of the process approach. Students had the chances to choose their partners, in order to reduce anxiety problems. Students completed eight writing tasks, which involved writing descriptive and narrative paragraphs. In terms of data collection instruments, semi-structured interviews with 22 questions were utilized, and then, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was employed. The researcher transcribed the data collected from the interviewers through pattern coding. Subsequently, the data collected through a questionnaire was computed via SPSS software version 23, and descriptive analyses were presented. Based on the results and findings, learners reflected the benefits of peer teaching and process approach to their writing. Participants mentioned that this implementation enhanced their self-assessment skills, language awareness and capabilities to give feedback.
The descriptive results from the Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire (AWMQ) showed that peer teaching increased students motivation to write and confirmed the benefits. The conclusions made from the study were that peer teaching encourages students’ motivation to develop their writing skill and social relationships with their peers, which builds their confidence in learning English.