An Action Research in an 8Th Grade Efl Classroom Eslem Ayik Şora January

LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN HOMEWORK PRACTICES: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN AN 8TH GRADE EFL CLASSROOM ESLEM AYIK ŞORA JANUARY 2020 LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN HOMEWORK PRACTICES: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN AN 8TH GRADE EFL CLASSROOM A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY ESLEM AYIK ŞORA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION JANUARY 2020 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Yaşar Kondakçı Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir Head of Department 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. Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir Supervisor Examining Committee Members Assist. Prof. Dr. Nur Akkuş Çakır (METU, EDS) Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir (METU, EDS) Assist. Prof. Dr. Gülçin Tan Şişman (Hacettepe Uni., EBB) PLAGIARISM 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: Eslem Ayık Şora Signature : iii ABSTRACT LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN HOMEWORK PRACTICES: AN ACTION RESEARCH IN AN 8TH GRADE EFL CLASSROOM Ayık Şora, Eslem M. Sc.Program of Curriculum and Instruction Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir January 2020, 230 pages Homework has always been in dispute among the authorities of foreign language education as there are numerous opinions about the characteristics of homework practices in language classes. According to the most studies, homework is helpful for learning in foreign language classes, however; there are only a few studies in Turkey about homework models and their effects on students’ performance. This study is an action research that aimed to enhance the homework performance in 8th grade English classes by generating the understanding of Learning Communities in a middle school setting. The study took place a semester and twenty-four 8th graders from the same class in the 2018-2019 education year and three English teachers participated in the study. As it is an action research, the teacher took part in the research both as a teacher and researcher. Data were acquired through teacher observations and teacher diary, student reflection reports, interviews with teachers and students, and student focus-group interviews. Written documents from the first and second semester were also utilized as data. The data were analysed through content analysis based on emerging themes and codes and shaped with respect to research questions. The improvement of students in terms iv of homework performance and academic success were assessed through presentatios, exam results and homework checklists. All data were triangulated and the results revealed that Learning Communities based homework contributed to students’ homework performance and English development. Based on the findings, it is believed that the study will demonstrate the importance of improving homework model and promote building communities in education. Keywords: Homework Practice, Learning Communities, Foreign Language Development, Action Research, English Class v ÖZ ÖDEV UYGULAMALARINDA ÖĞRENME TOPLULUKLARI: 8. SINIF İNGİLİZCE DERSİNE YÖNELİK BİR EYLEM ARAŞTIRMASI Ayık Şora, Eslem Yüksek Lisans, Eğitim Programları ve Öğretim Tez Danışmanı: Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir Ocak 2020, 230 sayfa Ödev kavramı, tercih edilen yöntem açısından birçok farklı görüş olması sebebiyle eğitim otoriteleri arasında her zaman tartışmalı bir konu olmuştur. Eğitimde ödev ve akademik başarıyla ilgili birçok çalışma vardır ve bu çalışmaların çoğu ödevin yabancı dil derslerinde faydalı bir öğrenme aracı olduğunu ifade etmektedir. Fakat, Türkiye’ de özellikle ödev modeli ve bunun öğrenci performansına etkisiyle ilgili çalışmalar yok denilecek kadar azdır. Bu çalışma; bir ortaokulda, 8. sınıf İngilizce derslerinde ödev performansını öğrenme topluluklarından yararlanarak arttırmayı amaçlayan bir eylem araştırmasıdır. Uygulama 2018-2019 Eğitim öğretim yılında bir dönem boyunca sürmüştür ve aynı kurumda çalışan üç (N=3)İngilizce öğretmeni ile aynı sınıfta eğitim gören yirmi dört (N=24) 8. sınıf öğrencisi katılımcı olarak yer almıştır. Söz konusu çalışma bir eylem araştırması olduğundan, araştırmacı süreçte hem eğitmen hem de araştırmacı rolündedir. Araştırmanın verileri öğretmen sınıf gözlem raporları ve günlükleri, öğrenci yansıtma raporları, yarı yapılandırılmış öğretmen ve öğrenci görüşmeleri ve yarı yapılandırılmış odak grup görüşmeleri yolu ile toplanmıştır. Birinci ve ikinci döneme ait sınav sonuçları ve ödev kontrol listeleri de veri kaynağı olarak vi incelenmiştir. Veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle, araştırma soruları kapsamında ortaya çıkan temalar ve yapılandırılan kodlar esas alınarak analiz edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin İngilizce gelişimi ve ödev performans durumu, gerçekleştirilen sunumlar, sınav sonuçları ve ödev kontrol listeleri kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bu belgeler, çalışmada aynı zamanda veri olarak da kullanılmıştır ve üçgenleme yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen verilerin analiz sonuçlarına göre, öğrenme toplulukları odaklı ödev modelinin öğrencilerin ödev performansına ve yabancı dil gelişimine katkı sağladığı görülmüştür. Sonuçlar ve öneriler son bölümde tartışılmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Ödev Uygulaması, Öğrenme Toplulukları, Yabancı Dil Gelişimi, Eylem Araştırması, İngilizce Dersi vii DEDICATION To my parents Mehmet-Aliye AYIK My best sis-friend Ferda AYIK and to my one and only hope for love, hope and life Sercan Şahin ŞORA viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A great many people have contributed to this study especially in the hard times of conducting the thesis preparation. I would like to express my sincere graduate to my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Cennet Engin Demir, for her invaluable guidance, continuous support and advice during the whole study although I faced with numerous drawbacks. I wouldn’t have overcome the process unless she had given a helping hand to me. I feel grateful to committee members, Assist. Prof. Dr. Gülçin Tan Şişman and Assist. Prof. Dr. Nur Akkuş Çakır for their valuable comments and suggestions. I also owe special thanks to Prof. Dr. Ali Yıldırım who guided me during my research and inspired me about deciding on research subject and I feel also grateful to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ok for his encouragement. My special thanks go to teachers, students and the administrators at the middle school for participating in the study and supporting me throughout the whole process. I would like to thank my friends who were supporting me and giving courage. They waited for my release patiently and hopefully. I wish to give a readily thanks to my family; my superdad Mehmet Ayık who is actually the source of my passion, my mother Aliye Ayık and my beloved sister Ferda Ayık (Ferdişco) who dedicated their endless support and deepest prayers. I am so proud to own a family like you. I also thank my second parents, İbrahim and Güngör Şora for their support and patience during the study. ix Last but not least, I owe great many thanks to my dear husband Sercan Şahin Şora, who never gave up on me and was always there whenever I need his shoulder. I am grateful for his thoughtfulness and belief in me. This journey would not have finished without his encouragement, love and understanding. We do not meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason. I am so grateful for the day that we came across. Since then, I feel complete and whole with you. You are the best part of me... My steps to serenity…No more wasted time. Let the life begin from now on! x TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ........................................................................................................ iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ iv ÖZ ........................................................................................................................... vi DEDICATION ...................................................................................................... viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................... ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ xi LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................ xiv LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ xv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................... xvi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Background to the Study .............................................................................. 1 1.2. Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................... 8 1.3. Significance of the Study .............................................................................. 8 1.4. Definition of Terms ...................................................................................

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