In this study, it was aimed to examine students’ opinions about competencies included in the curriculum. As a method, the quantitative research method was used and the descriptive survey model was implemented. Simple random sampling method was used for the study group. The sample of the study group consisted of 1433 secondary school students studying at official public schools in Artuklu district of Mardin in the 2020-2021 academic year. The data of the study were collected via the “Secondary School Curriculum Competencies Competency Area Student Scale” developed by the researchers. This scale consisted of 8 competency areas, 15 sub-dimensions and 81 items. The data obtained from the sample group was analyzed with the SPSS package program. For the analysis, it was implemented descriptive (percentage, frequency, arithmetic mean), predictive (t-test, one way ANOVA) and Scheffe tests. The results of the analysis revealed that the students' general perceptions about achieving competencies were at the level of "I agree". No significant differences were found in the scale among the students' opinions in terms of gender variable, but differences were seen in the level of competencies. Significant differences were found between the groups comparing the class level and the number of books read per year. Suggestions were proposed based on the results of the research.

The purpose of this research is to examine secondary school students' metaphorical perceptions towards the mathematics textbook. In the study in which the phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research designs, was adopted, a total of 379 students from the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels studying in a secondary school in the city centre of Siirt in the 2024–2025 academic year constituted the study group of the research. The students were asked to complete the sentence "The mathematics textbook is like … because …" and the obtained data were analysed using the content analysis method. A total of 186 different metaphors were produced by the students and these metaphors were classified under eight main themes: difficulty, guidance, life, fun, infinity, time, experience and source of knowledge. The most frequently used metaphors include “maze,” “map,” “sea,” and “brain.” These expressions show that students perceive the mathematics textbook not only as a tool for information, but also as a guiding, challenging, life-related, and experiential element. Research findings reveal that taking students’ metaphorical thinking into account in the design of learning materials can contribute to the creation of more effective learning environments in both cognitive and affective terms.

The research methods course plays a crucial role in providing undergraduate students with the knowledge and practices necessary for research processes. Its effectiveness in various educational settings—such as face-to-face, distance, and hybrid education—has been explored from multiple perspectives using diverse data sources. The present study aimed to examine the perspectives of prospective teachers who had taken the research methods in education course through face-to-face, distance, and hybrid educations, as well as the instructors who had taught these courses. The study explored the similarities and differences between these viewpoints based on their experiences. The phenomenological design of a qualitative research, was employed. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured form developed by the researchers, and the data obtained were analyzed using Maxqda (ver.20). The findings regarding the codes and themes were presented in tables and hierarchical code-subcode models. It was found that the prospective teachers considered this course important in terms of their academic development, especially in terms of using it in the assignments of other courses, preparing projects, learning scientific research, and gaining a scientific perspective. Lack of interaction and communication, especially in the question-answer method, technical problems, inability to focus on the instructor and attendance were mentioned as disadvantages in the distance education practice of the course. On the other hand, being able to listen to the course again that they missed and taking notes better were highlighted as advantages. The educational practice where most students choose to take this course is face-to-face. Based on the study's findings, some recommendations for different educational practices were presented.

In recent years, students' interest in technology has become a part of their daily lives. Students' interests in technology are concentrated on topics such as coding, software programmes, creating and sharing video content and curiosity about the use of social media. This study aims to determine the effect of using interactive digital storytelling activities to teach the Circulatory System topic to 6th-grade students in science courses on their academic achievement and attitudes. It significantly contributes to understanding how teaching methods impact students' learning and attitudes. This study used a quasi-experimental design with the pre-test-post-test control group, one of the quantitative research approaches, to answer the research problem and sub-problems. The study group research consists of 6th-grade students in a secondary school in the central district of Altınordu in Ordu province in the 2021-2022 academic year. One of these classes was randomly selected as the experimental group and one as the control group. While the digital storytelling material developed within the research was used in the classroom environment in the experimental group, it was not applied in the other control group. The same researcher and the course teacher attended both classes together. The science and technology attitude scale and the circulatory system achievement test were applied to the experimental and control groups as a pre-test at the beginning of the study and a post-test at the end. Independent samples t-test was used to analyse the data obtained from the study. As a result, it was observed that only the interactive digital storytelling applied to the experimental group increased the students' achievement and attitudes towards the science course in a statistically significant and positive way. It is recommended that the researchers provide the necessary pre-training for the students to use the interactive digital storytelling work they prepared in the science course and encourage them to share it with their friends.

This article examines the role of statistical analysis in criminology, thoroughly investigating its diverse influence and uses. The introduction provides a comprehensive analysis of the convergence of statistics and criminology, highlighting the significance of statistical methodologies in comprehending and mitigating criminal conduct and augmenting the efficacy of the criminal justice system via statistical techniques. The following section examines statistical analysis's impact on comprehending crime trends, facilitating policy development, and constructing effective crime prevention tactics. Real-world case studies show statistical analysis's practical use and beneficial effects in criminological practice. Notwithstanding the many benefits, it is indispensable to acknowledge and examine the possible obstacles and constraints associated with using statistical analysis in criminology. These include but are not limited to difficulties about data quality, ethical considerations, and resource constraints. Considering the abovementioned factors, we propose prospective resolutions and alternative measures to address these obstacles effectively. In anticipation of forthcoming developments, we draw attention to emerging patterns and advancements in the field, including big data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, which have the potential to augment the capabilities and efficacy of statistical analysis within the realm of criminology. The conclusion effectively integrates the main topics examined, affirming the crucial significance of statistical analysis in the progression of criminological research, policy formulation, and practical implementation. Furthermore, it highlights the contribution of statistical analysis towards establishing safer communities and a fairer criminal justice system.

The fact that the mathematics course is abstract, that it is not possible to associate it with daily life, and that it is impossible to concretize abstract expressions causes a prejudice against the this course and leads to a decrease in the academic achievements of students. It is seen that throughout history, various studies have been carried out taking this situation into consideration. A group of these studies is on realistic mathematics education. Realistic mathematics education is an approach that aims to concretize the abstract concepts of mathematics by relating them to real-life situations. The purpose is to make mathematics more understandable by concretizing it. In the study, the subject of calculating the surface area of prisms with the use of realistic mathematics education was taught, and the purpose of the study was to examine the effects of this application. The study group consisted of 20 5th grade students. While determining this group, maximum variety sampling strategy was preferred. In the study, action research, one of the qualitative research methods, was used, and the data were interpreted with the help of descriptive analysis and content analysis. The data collection tools in the study included semi-structured interview forms, video recordings, photos and activity sheets prepared by the students under the guidance of the researcher in accordance with the realistic mathematics education approach. When the findings were examined, it was seen that the students showed a positive development in the meaning and visualization processes; that they could reach mathematical inferences on their own; that they enjoyed the mathematics lesson; and that the realistic mathematics education approach gave positive results on learning. Based on these results, it was suggested that not only the application of the realistic mathematics education approach for different acquisitions but also the inclusion of these activities in the textbooks in accordance with the curriculum will result in improvements in favor of learning.

The purpose of the current study is to reveal the difficulties encountered by special education teachers who provide homeschooling services. The study employed the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research designs. The study group of the current study was determined by using the convenience sampling method and consists of ten participants. In the study, data were collected through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers. The collected data were analyzed by using the descriptive analysis technique. According to the findings of the study, homeschooling services has some advantages such as the establishment of teacher-student-parent communication, yet, has many disadvantages such as lack of educational planning, lack of materials, transportation problems, low student motivation, low wages and unsuitable physical environment. In the study, it was also concluded that for the improvement of homeschooling services, many public and private institutions should carry out joint work for homeschooling services, teachers should be aided in issues such as wages and transportation and families should be supported in terms of physical conditions and materials.

The aim of this study was to determine effectively teaching acquisitions which algebraic expressions sub-learning take place in algebra learning field to sixth-grade students by using educational games in addition available teaching methods and the student perspectives on the mathematics lesson. The research's study group consisted of 31 sixth graders from two village middle schools in the province of Niğde’s central district. One of the mixed research approaches, exploratory sequential design, was selected since it was better in accordance with the study's objectives. Both groups took the attitude scale as a pre-test before the application. The experimental group was then taught mathematics using educational games, whereas the control group received no intervention and was simply taught using the techniques found in the present curriculum. Both groups were given the attitude scale as a post-test after the application. Qualitative information was acquired by asking the experimental group’s students their opinions of the method after it had been used. Since the collected quantitative data had a normal distribution, comparisons between groups were made using the independent sample t-test, while comparisons within groups were made using the dependent sample t-test. The qualitative data that was collected was analyzed using content analysis. The results of the study showed that employing educational games to teach mathematics significantly changed the attitudes of the experimental group members toward the topic, or, to put it another way, positively impacted them. After taking into account the students’ perceptions of the process, it was determined that the use of educational games during the lesson raised interest, motivated students, increased their participation in the lesson, helped them understand the subject, and the students enjoyed the process.

Individuals can encounter non-governmental organizations (NGOs), one of the most significant experiences of citizenship, during the early stages of their education. Individuals with foundational experiences at the primary school level, as they reach the middle school level, gain the opportunity to better understand the meaning and importance of NGOs through social studies and equivalent courses. Determining how students perceive NGOs at the end of this educational period is crucial in shaping education about NGOs and citizenship education. This study aimed to reveal the middle school 7th-grade students’ point of view on the NGO and NGO-citizen relationship. The study was carried out as a qualitative study. The qualitative study sample consisted of 39 (20 females, 19 males) 7th-grade students selected with purposive sampling methods. The data collected with open-ended questions were analyzed with content analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that the students considered NGOs in terms of helping people and volunteerism. On the other hand, it was also seen that the students did not mention the political characteristics of the NGOs. It was found that students have a perspective of looking out for mutual benefit in the relationship between the NGO and the citizenship. In addition, all the students emphasized the responsibility to support the NGOs. Nevertheless, this mentioned support was more financial, and there was not enough emphasis on the support provided by social and political participation

This study aims to examine the effects of activities prepared using the Actionbound application on students' academic achievement and mathematical attitude in the field measurement subject in the 6th-grade mathematics course. The study was designed using a quasi-experimental design with a control group from quantitative research methods. The study group of research consists of students studying in two different 6th grades of a secondary school in the central district of Elazığ province in the school year 2022-2023. The achievement averages of the branches in the previous semester were used in forming the experimental and control groups and in ensuring the equivalence of the branches. The research, which was conducted in parallel with the MoNE curriculum, was applied simultaneously to the experimental and control groups. The research, which used parametric testing procedures due to the normal distribution of the data, was analyzed using the SPSS package program. The results show that the digital learning game developed using Actionbound improves performance and attitude, but does not cause a significant difference between the groups. It is recommended to extend the application period of the study and continue the study for one semester.