The Investigation of Relationship between Elementary School Teachers‟
Thinking Styles and Assessment-Evaluation Methods
Journal Name:
- Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi
Keywords (Original Language):
| Author Name | University of Author | Faculty of Author |
|---|---|---|
Abstract (2. Language):
The aim of this study is to examine elementary class teachers' thinking styles, assessment and
evaluation methods they use and to determine the correlation between these methods and
thinking styles. The study has been conducted in 2012-2013 academic year on 375 class teachers
who work in Amasya. The correlational survey method was used in this study. The data have
been collected with Thinking Styles Scale which was developed by Stanberg-Wagner (1992) and
whose validity and reliability studies were conducted by BuluĢ (2006) and personal data form
and assessment-evaluation methods inventory which developed by researchers. The results
gathered from the thinking styles scale indicate that the class teachers get the highest scores
from executive, legislative and hierarchic thinking styles, and they get the lowest scores from
conservative, global and local thinking styles. A significant difference has not been detected in
thinking styles in terms of gender, seniority and branch. Moreover, the class teachers tend to
use multiple-choice, short-answer, open ended and gap filling questions. The ones at least or
never used were identified as being diary, structured grid and diagnostic branched tree. While
there is not any significant relation between these assessment -evaluation methods and liberal
and conservative thinking styles, there is meaningful relation between other thinking styles and
various assessment–evaluation methods.
Extended Abstract: Having their own qualities in daily life, people may also have their own
thinking forms in the act of thinking, so the concept of "thinking style" has emerged. Thinking
style is the preferred form of thinking and the manner of the use of abilities we have. There are
many researches related to "Thinking Style" concept in the literature and thinking style are
explained in "Cognitive Experiential Self Theory" of Epstein and Myer-Briggs‘ ―Thinking
Manner Classification Theory", "Intellectual Autonomy Theory" of Stenberg.
"Intellectual Autonomy Theory" is a comprehensive and multi-dimensional model that
expresses the thinking styles of the individuals and includes other styles. The theory consists of
13 thinking styles under the category names of Functions, Manners, Levels, the Scope and
Trends. Functions include Execution, Jurisdiction, and Legislation. Under the category
Manners, four subcategories exist namely; Hierarchic, Oligarchic, Monarchic, and Anarchic. The
third category Levels includes Global and Local subcategories, the fourth category Scope has
Internal and External subcategories, and finally the Trends category includes Liberal and
Conservative subcategories. According to this theory individuals have their own thinking styles
and these styles can change according to the time and they are shaped by the conditions. People
may have not only one thinking style but may have several thinking styles. For example the
styles they use while studying and doing daily life affairs may differ. In short, people do not
have a certain style; they have a profile consisting of styles.
Thinking styles which shape the daily routines of the individuals also have a striking role in
individuals‘ educational lives. Knowing the thinking styles of the individuals will inevitably
increase the effectiveness of the teaching process and if the teachers are aware of the thinking
styles of both their student s and their own they can produce and plan the activities
accordingly. Knowledge and development of the thinking abilities may affect teachers' choice of
teaching and assessment-evaluation methods they use. Therefore, in this study, teachers' thinking styles, the assessment- evaluation methods they use and the relationship between
these two variables are investigated.
This research is conducted in 2012-2013 academic year on 375 elementary class teachers who
work in Amasya. The correlational survey method is used. The data is gathered by using the
thinking styles scale developed by Stenberg and Wagner (1992), whose validity and reliability
studies were conducted by BuluĢ (2006), personel data form and and an inventory developed by
the researcher for determining the assessment-evaluation methods.
The data gathered by the thinking styles scale suggest that teachers get the highest scores from
the hierarchic ( =26,82), execution( =26,00), and legislation ( =25,87) thinking styles and they
get lower scores from the conservative ( =17,54), local ( =20,28), and global ( =20,52)
thinking styles. It has been revealed that teachers work in a plan, a certain order and a creative
manner, and in accordance with the rules, they avoid traditional understanding and they do not
like dealing with abstract and detailed works. It has been found out that teachers' thinking
styles do not differ according to the gender (t373=-1,24; p>0.05). Teachers' thinking styles also
don‘t differ according to their branches (t373=-0,665; p>0.05) and seniorities (F6-368=0,51;
p=0,79>0,05). These findings support the literature.
When we examine the assessment-evaluation methods that class teachers use, it is seen that
they generally prefer to use multiple choice, short answer open ended and gap filling questions.
These methods are traditional. This result is in parallel with the related literature. Among the
alternative assessment- evaluation methods, structured grid, diagnostic branched tree, puzzle
and interview have been found to be the less used methods. The studies of Güven and Eskitürk
(2007) and Pullu (2008) indicate that teachers may not know these alternative methods and may
have some problems in the process of preparing, implementing or scoring and therefore, they
don‘t prefer to use them.
When the assessment-evaluation methods the class teachers use are examined according to the
thinking styles it has been found out that multiple choice, gap filling and short answer open
ended questions are mostly used by all the thinking styles, and diagnostic branched tree and
puzzle are underused. The levels of assessment-evaluation methods use have not varied
according to thinking style. Although the individuals may have different thinking styles they
prefer to use similar methods predominantly.
Different studies may be conducted on the importance of thinking styles and how they can be
developed for teachers. Alternative assessment-evaluation methods can be introduced to
teachers as an in-service teacher training program and they can be encouraged to use these
techniques.
Bookmark/Search this post with
Abstract (Original Language):
Bu araştırmanın amacı sınıf öğretmenlerinin düşünme stillerini, kullandıkları ölçme-değerlendirme
yöntemlerini ve bu yöntemlerin düşünme stilleri ile ilişkisini incelemektir. Çalışma 2012-2013 akademik
yılında Amasya‟da görev yapmakta olan 375 sınıf öğretmeniyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmada ilişkisel
tarama yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Veriler Stenberg-Wagner (1992) tarafından geliştirilen ve Türkçeye
uyarlaması geçerlik güvenirlik çalışması Buluş (2006) tarafından yapılan Düşünme Stilleri Envanteri,
araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan kişisel bilgi formu ve Ölçme-Değerlendirme Yöntemleri anketi ile elde
edilmiştir. Sınıf öğretmenleri, düşünme stilleri envanterinden en yüksek puanları yasama, yürütme ve
hiyerarşik düşünme stillerinden; en düşük puanları ise muhafazakâr, global ve lokal düşünme stillerinden
almışlardır. Öğretmenlerin düşünme stilleri cinsiyet, mesleki kıdem ve mezuniyet branşına göre
farklılaşmamaktadır. Sınıf öğretmenleri çoğunlukla çoktan seçmeli, kısa cevaplı açık uçlu ve boşluk
doldurmalı soruları kullanmaktadır. En az kullandıkları veya hiç kullanmadıkları ölçme-değerlendirme
yöntemleri ise günlük, yapılandırılmış grid ve tanılayıcı dallanmış ağaçtır. Liberal ve muhafazakâr düşünme
stillerinin hiçbir ölçme-değerlendirme yöntemi ile anlamlı ilişkisi bulunmazken diğer düşünme stilleri ile
çeşitli yöntemlerin kullanımı arasında anlamlı ilişki bulunmuştur.
FULL TEXT (PDF):
- 1