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This study analyzes the alignment between the educational policy of Turkey and high-stakes tests administered for students transitioning from secondary to high school. Research questions focus on the opinions of secondary school teachers about the alignment between transit exam questions and curricula, course books and materials, and their views on high-stakes testing. The research used a survey study model utilizing the triangulation design. A total of 109 teachers from six different majors working in Ankara participated in the study. An online survey consisting of eight questions was used to get teachers' opinions. The research question was analyzed using quantitative (percentages) and qualitative (content analysis) methods. Results showed that education serves dominantly for tests emphasizing a testing-oriented education system in the current Turkish learning and teaching process, which contrasts with education policy documents targeting 2023.

This study evaluates the 2017 updated secondary school English curriculum of Turkey with the frame of Stake's (1967) congruence-contingency model. The study employed a mixed-methods research design. In this regard, triangulation was employed to provide data diversity. Four different data gathering tools were used: document analysis, interviews, structured questionnaires and in-class observations. The questionnaire data were gathered from 96 English language teachers, working in various cities of Turkey, and the interviews were conducted with seven English language teachers working at a public school in Ankara. In addition, classroom observations were conducted at four different classes in the same school. The findings of the study indicated that teachers considered the updated curriculum suitable and effective. However, in-class observations displayed that there are important gaps in bridging theory and practice. Thus, if there is a huge gap between what was intended and what was carried out, then first, an English as a foreign language education policy document should be prepared, and a unique foreign language-teaching ecosystem to include all stakeholders should be targeted.

This study aims to determine the needs of primary school teachers concerning their expectations from an in-service program to foster their English language teaching competencies and develop such an in-service program draft. Data were collected from 10 primary school teachers working in schools in Ankara where there are currently no appointed English language teachers and from 3 academics working in the field of English language teaching. For data collection, an in-depth interview was used to determine the needs of primary school teachers from an in service program; and a structured questionnaire was used to identify the opinions of the academics on the suitability of the proposed program. The results demonstrate that primary school teachers are in need of such an in-service training program and they specifically need training on teaching methods and techniques of English, basic pronunciation patterns, use of thematic instruction, use of software to teach English and alternative assessment methods. Considering these needs of the primary school teachers who teach English, an in-service training program was developed and finalized by the opinions of the academics. With the dissemination of this program, an important need of classroom teachers can be met in the short run.

This study aims to improve English Language Teaching (ELT) student teachers' teaching practice process with comprehensive and diverse feedback from four different mentors (two national and two international) and to help them better prepare lesson plans and micro-teaching considering intercultural perspectives. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze quantitative data gathered from the scores of five lesson plans and micro-teachings. Qualitative data were obtained from the written feedback to lesson plans, oral feedback to micro teachings and interviews, and analyzed by content analysis. Results showed that mentees' lesson plan and micro teaching scores increased significantly over the semester and this was especially notable in mentees' first three lesson plans and micro teaching. All participants favoured the study activities and suggested that e-co mentoring should be implemented together with face-to-face mentoring in some periods.

In search of ways to better the foreign language proficiency levels of their citizens, governments frequently announce macro foreign language policies. In Turkey, the latest education reform in 2013 lowered the onset of foreign language learning to the second grade. The piloting of the latest foreign language policy is in progress to transform the fifth grade to an English Language Preparation Program (ELPP). In line with the current changes, this study collects the secondary school English language teachers' opinions at the initial stage of the implementation. This qualitative case study questions the advantages, disadvantages, success and possible challenges of the implementation, and the necessary support mechanisms. The secondary school English language teachers reflect on their past experiences of intensive language programs and hold an overall positive approach to the new ELLP implementation. All in all, to achieve success, the findings highlight the need for teacher training on teaching English to young learners, for a sound integration of communicative language teaching with authentic materials.

In 2018, the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MoNE) launched new curricula which emphasised the use of Theme- Based Instruction. On top of that, in 2019, the MoNE released a new vision document in which an interdisciplinary approach requiring integration among various courses was targeted. Based on earlier empirical studies, as well as a previous study by the researcher on TBI in the Turkish context, this study investigated primary school English language teachers' opinions on the effective use of TBI and offered an integrated curriculum model of instruction with sample activities to be used in primary school English language courses. The study was designed as a phenomenological qualitative study. A structured interview form, as well as document analysis methods, were used to gather data. Descriptive statistics were used to present demographic data, while content analysis was used to present qualitative data. One notable finding of the study was the teachers' suggestions that course books should be designed to explicitly show the relations of integration among various courses, and that activities should be prepared together with another content teacher. A suitable model of integration and sample activities to be used were designed based on teachers' suggestions.

The objective of this study is to comparatively analyze the university-based and alternative teacher certification systems in Turkey in terms of the attitudes of trainee teachers toward the teaching profession, explore the reasons of choosing teaching as a career as well as analyze attitudes by gender, department, and graduating faculty type in the frame of dominant ideological and economical paradigms. For the study, rational screening model was used, employing mixed methods research strategy. Participants in the study were 208 trainee teachers from the departments at the faculty of educational sciences and 200 trainee teachers at alternative certification programs at the same university. As a result of this research, it was found that university-based trainee teachers have better attitudes than trainee teachers of alternative certification programs toward the teaching profession and that female trainee teachers in both groups had better attitudes toward the teaching profession. Further, it was found that university-based trainee teachers utilized intrinsic motivators more, whereas trainees at alternative certification programs mainly utilized extrinsic motivators for career choice. Thus, intrinsic motivations of student teachers need to be strengthened as without realizing and emphasizing the divine values and the respectability of the teaching profession, it would be impossible to raise a new generation of teachers with high levels of intrinsic motivation, and the result could be having an army of technicians aiming to earn more money or have a more comfortable life rather than intellectuals who believe in contributing to and making a change in the lives of students.