Journal of Applied Sciences Research 5(3): 311-315, 2009 2009, INSInet Publication Proficiency Perceptions of Prospective Teachers about the Education They Have Had on United Classes Nida Bayindir Dumlupinar University, Faculty of Education, Kutahya/Turkey. Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine whether prospective teachers think that the education they have had on united classes pre-service is adequate or not, their opinions and suggestions about the subject. Within the scope of the research, the opinions of 113 students at Kütahya Dumlupinar University, Education Faculty, Elementary Teaching Department, who have had education on united classes, have been collected through a questionnaire. The answers of the students have been evaluated in the context of presenting their first perceptions about how much they consider themselves adequate or inadequate in united classes. Accordingly, the prospective teachers are of the opinion that the education they have had on united classes is not adequate and that the courses aren t in line with real experience. It has also been established that prospective teachers fear that they will certainly have problems in teaching united classes and for this reason they don t want to teach united classes. Key Words: United classes, Education on united classes, Prospective teachers INTRODUCTION Turkish education system is composed of such subsystems as pre-school, elementary, secondary and high school teaching, each of which has its own significance; however, united classes in elementary [10,19,1] teaching has a special place. United Classes means uniting more than one class together into one group and doing teaching with one teacher due to lack of teacher and classroom in places with little population[8,22,14]. This has been carried out in Turkish national education system for a long time. According to 2006-2007 data of Ministry of Education, there are totally 10 million 404 students- 5 million 468 thousand male and 4 million 940 thousand 20 female- at totally 34 thousand 989 primary schools in Turkey. United class is conducted in 16 thousand 69 primary schools in which 26 thousand 363 teachers teach 268 thousand 614 male and 255 thousand 88 female- total 523 thousand 702 students. In these united classes, 214 thousand 210 students have their education in two classes in one, while 169 thousand 137 students in three classes in one, 13 thousand 715 students in four classes in one and 126 thousand 640 students in five classes in one. Even in big metropolises like Ýstanbul, 1515 students have their education in united classes in 42 primary schools, while in Ankara 3233 students in 134 primary schools and in Ýzmir 7794 students in 244 primary schools [17] have their education in united classes. United classes have brought many challenges like grouping more than one class, planning, classroom management and village life. In a research conducted [22 ] by ªahin, it was established that united classes have negative effects on the professional motivation and excitement of teachers and hence they don t want to work at united classes. In addition, besides the challenges during the process, teachers also have d ifficulties in m eeting their transp o rtatio n, accommodation, social life and basic requirements. Moreover, the large majority of primary school teaching departments aren t equipped with sufficient information and experience in united classes, because these courses are limited to a two-hour theoretical [7,9,2] credit at education faculties. Besides that, only 19% of the primary school teachers in Turkey are graduates [3,24] of relevant departments. Therefore, it is by no means possible to say that all the primary school teachers possess sufficient information and experience about united classes. There are some teachers coming from different sources like teacher s schools, education institutes, education faculties and graduates of other domains with pedagogic formation who don t possess sufficient information about united classes. Since they lack this proficiency, they come up against and also Corresponding Author: Nida Bayindir, Dumlupinar University, Faculty of Education, Kutahya/Turkey. 311
[14,6,4] cause certain challenges. In addition, there aren t enough internship applications on united classes for prospective teachers, which causes new teachers sent to village schools as their first teaching place don t know what to do in united classes although they are theoretically knowledgeable. Of course, this discourages [5,15,16,18,21] most of them from teaching. Teachers in united classes are mostly new starters. In their first years, no matter how qualitative preservice training they have had, they have to face many challenges and their inexperience, insufficient information about united classes exacerbate these [11,12,2 0,13] challenges. In Turkey, the application of united classes is conducted in the first echelon in primary schools with certain problems despite new programs, new teachers and new technologies. The aim of this research is to present the perceptions of prospective teachers about their proficiency in teaching united classes. MATERIALS AND METHOD Survey method was used in the research. Through a questionnaire, it was aimed to determine whether prospective teachers find themselves proficient in teaching united classes or not with their reasons for their answers. The sampling of the research is composed of 113 prospective teachers who had courses on united classes at primary school teaching department of education faculty of DPU (Dumlupinar University) during 2007-2008 academic year. The sampling of the research was determined according to proportionately stratified random sampling. The data were gathered thanks to the questionnaire developed by the researcher in order to determine and measure the most apparent probable problems of prospective teachers about variants of united classes. In the questionnaire (c.alpha:0,90), the prospective teachers own perception of proficiency on the variants of problems in united classes and basic vocational skills. The questionnaire was developed by the researchers after he had carried out literature survey and then a preliminary work on 113 students of primary school teaching at DPU education faculty in which he asked the students in which the areas in teaching united classes they found themselves competent and incompetent. In the light of the data, proficiency in teaching united classes formed the base of the research. The research also made use of descriptive and parametric statistical methods while analysing the relation of competence or incompetence with genders and education of the students. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Below the findings of the research about the relation of competence of the students at DPU primary school teaching department in teaching united classes with gender are presented, considering the education they have had themselves. [7] In the research of Çýnar, it is stated that conducting the two-credit teaching united classes course of primary school teaching programs of education faculties as applied in village schools will not only enable prospective teachers to get familiar with village life but will also develop their skills in teaching united classes. This finding matches up with the results of our research, too. It was found in the research that 69,0% of the prospective teachers don t consider themselves proficient in teaching united classes. Female prospective teachers constitute the majority in this number. According to gender, male prospective teachers differentiate more meaningfully than female ones in planning of and managing united classes. Female prospective teachers, on the other hand, have more worries about adapting to village life than the male ones. Almost all the participants find the education about united classes theoretical and think that they will certainly face difficulties when they are supposed to teach united classes. Teaching united classes requires different skills, knowledge, experience and effort than teaching traditional classes; however, in reality, there are no courses in in-service programs of Ministry of National Education for teaching in united classes. Moreover, this course is provided only theoretically at education faculties inefficiently by instructors who have no studies or experience in the area. Therefore, instructors who will give the course of teaching united classes should at first themselves be instructed about the subject, and further, prospective teachers should be provided with enough opportunities to practice in situ as intern teachers, because although prospective teachers don t conduct pre-service applications in united classes, they might be appointed to a united class at their first placement. Finally, it will be a great asset if prospective teachers are enabled to conduct some of their pre-service training at villages. 312
Table 1: Gender of the Subjects Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid female 57 504 504 504 male 56 496 496 1000 Total 113 1000 1000 50,4% of the prospective teachers in the research were female, whereas 49,6% were male. Table 2: The state of whether the subjects find themselves proficient in teaching united classes Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid yes 35 310 310 310 no 78 690 690 1000 Total 113 1000 1000 69,0% of the prospective teachers in the research, according to their education, find themselves proficient in teaching united classes. Table 3: The relation of the subjects gender with their education about united classes THEIR EDUCATION -------------------------------------- yes no GENDER female 8 49 57 male 27 29 56 Total 35 78 113 49 of the 57 female prospective teachers in the research find themselves proficient. Almost half of the male participants, on the other hand, find themselves proficient in teaching united classes. Total Table 4: Differentiation of the prospective teachers in considering themselves proficient in teaching united classes according to gender GENDER N M ean Std. Std. Error Deviation M ean I can manage united classes easily female 57 34737 1e+05 14618 male 56 38929 92792 12400 It takes a lot of time for me to adapt to village life female 57 41404 81149 10748 male 56 37679 83101 11105 I don t have difficulty in planning of united classes female 57 33333 1e+05 13324 male 56 38571 77292 10329 F Sig. t df Sig. (2- tailed) I can manage united classes easily Equal variances 1,777 185-2,183 111 031* Equal variances -2,187 108,425 031 It takes a lot of time for me to adapt to village life Equal variances 392 533 2411 111 018* Equal variances 2410 110,808 018 I don t have difficulty in planning of united classes Equal variances 5988 16-3100 111,002** Equal variances -3107 104,941 002 * p< 0,05 ** p<0,01 According to the findings of the research, compared to the male prospective teachers, female ones don t find themselves adequate in adapting to village life. On the other hand, compared to female prospective teachers, male ones think that they won t have difficulty in planning of and managing united classes. 313
Table 5: Differentiation of the prospective teachers in considering themselves proficient in teaching united classes according to their education about united classes THEIR N M ean Std. Std. Error EDUCATION Deviation M ean I know united classes theoretically yes 35 29143 1e+05 22962 no 78 23077 1e+05 13323 I have difficulty in the application of united classes yes 35 42286 1e+05 16946 no 78 38077 1e+05 11550 I wouldn t like to teach united classes yes 35 43429 63906 10802 no 78 38462 1e+05 12115 F Sig. t df Sig. (2- tailed) I know united classes theoretically Equal variances 251 618 2414 111,017* Equal variances 2285 57853 026 I have difficulty in the application of united classes Equal variances 0 991 2039 111,044* Equal variances 2052 66581 044 I wouldn t like to teach united classes Equal variances 4825 30 2546 111,012* Equal variances 3060 102,040 003 * p<0,05 According to the findings of the research, prospective teachers stated that they knew united classes theoretically, they would certainly have difficulty in the application of united classes but they would like to teach united classes. REFERENCES 1. Akbaºlý, S., Ö. ve Pilten, 1999. Ýlköðretim Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarda Öðretim, Konya: Mikro yayýnlarý, 9. 2. Akpýnar, B., M. Turan, A. ve Gözler, 2006. B irle º t i r i l m i º S ý n ý f l a r d a G ö r e v Y a p a n Öðretmenlerin Yeni Ýlköðretim Müfredatýna Ýliºkin Görüº Ve Önerileri, Ulusal Sýnýf Öðretmenliði Kongresi, (Gazi Üniversitesi Gazi Eðitim Fakültesi 14 16/Nisan/2006, Ankara) Bildiri Kitabý 2. Cilt, 403 414, Ankara: Kök Yayýncýlýk. 3. Atalünal, A., 1992. Ýlköðretim Okullarýna Öðretmen Yetiºtirme Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eðitim Fak. Dergisi Sayý:8, Ankara:ªafak Matbaacýlýk, pp: S.379-386. 4. Binbaºýoðlu, C., 1983. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarda Öðretim Rehberi. Ankara: Binbaºýoðlu Yayýnlarý. 5. Butt, G., 1994. The Role Of The Higher Education Tutor. In: A. Williams (Ed.) Perspectives on Partnership: Secondary Initial Teacher Training. London, Falmer Press. 6. Büyük Karagöz, S., H. ªahin, 1995. Taºýmalý Ýlköðretim Uygulamalarý, Eðitim Ve Bilim Dergisi, 19. Cilt. 96. 7. Çýnar, D., 2004. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflý Ýlköðretim Okullarýnda Okuma Yazma Öðretimine Ýliºkin Bir Araºtýrma, Ýnönü Üniversitesi Eðitim Fakültesi Dergisi Cilt:5, Sayý, 7: 31-45. 8. Erdem, A.R., 2004. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarda Öðretim. Ankara: Aný Yayýncýlýk. 9. Erdem, A.R., S. Kamacý, T. ve Aydemir, 2005. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarý Okutan Öðretmenlerin Karºýlaºtýklarý Sorunlar Denizli Örneði. Eðitimde Kuram Ve Uygulama, 1(1-2): 3-13. 10. Fidan, N., Y. ve Baykul, 1993. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarda Öðretim Öðretmen Rehberi. Milli Eðitim Bakanlýðý Ve Unicef Türkiye Temsilciliði, Ankara. 11. Fidan, Nurettin, 1987. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarda Öðretim. Eskiºehir: Anadolu Üniv. Açýk Öðretim Fakültesi Yayýnlarý. 12. Gültekin, M., R. ve Karadað, 2005. Ýlköðretimde Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflar, Taºýmalý Eðitim Ve Yatýlý Ýlköðretim Bölge Okulu Uygulamalarýna Yönelik Araºtýrma Sonuçlarýnýn Analizi XIV. Ulusal Eðitim Bilimleri Kongresi- Pamukkale Üniversitesi Eðitim Fakültesi, 28-30. Eylül 2005 Denizli) Kongre Kitabý Cilt., 2: 79-64. Ankara: Aný Yayýncýlýk. 13. Karagöz, S., 1973. Ýlkokuma Öðretmen Kýlavuzu. Ýstanbul: Milli Eðitim Basýmevi. 14. Köksal, K., 2005. Birleºtirilmiº Sýnýflarda Öðretim, Ankara: Pegema Yayýncýlýk. 15. Long, J., 1995. The challenge for change: mentoring for school based teacher education. Paper presented at the ATEA Conference, North Sydney:Australian Catholic University. 314
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