Four-Skill Assessment of Turkish Language: Results from a Pilot Project

Year 2020, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 199 - 218, 13.06.2020

Emine Eroğlu Eren Suna Hande Tanberkan Amine Canıdemir Umare Altun Mahmut Özer

https://doi.org/10.21031/epod.687758

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This study analyses the results of the ‘Four-Skill Test in Turkish Language’ (FSTTL) project conducted by the Ministry of National Education to assess the language skills of students as a pilot project and investigates the effects of various variables on language skills. Relationships between language scores and school type, gender, preschool participation, parents’ level of education, and course grades are investigated in this descriptive study. The sample is consisted of 1932 students in seventh grade who participated in the pilot study. Test battery, consisted of reading, listening, writing, and speaking subtests, is used to assess the language skills of students within the scope of the FSTTL. Findings show that students in imam-hatip middle schools and middle schools performed at a similar level in all subtests. Female students performed significantly higher than male students in all subtests. Students participated in pre-school education performed significantly higher than those who did not participate in reading, writing, and listening subtests. Findings also show that the increase in parents’ level of education leads to an increase in students’ subtest scores. The effect of parents’ level of education on subtest scores is comparatively higher than the effects of other factors in focus. Significant correlations have been obtained between the four-skill scores and student’s Turkish course, social sciences, mathematics, and science course grades. It is suggested that FSTTL must be developed based on the experiences of the pilot project as a standardized test in accordance with the international standards and actively used to improve educational processes.

Keywords

Language Skills, Four-Skill Test in Turkish Language, Language Teaching, Assessment

References

• Akbaşlı, S., Şahin, M., & Yaykıran, Z. (2016). The effect of reading comprehension on the performance in science and mathematics. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(6), 108-121.
• Akoğlu, H. (2018). User's guide to correlation coefficients. Turk J Emerg Med,18(3), 91–93.
• Akram, A., & Malik, A. (2010). Integration of language learning skills in second language acquisition. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 3(14), 231 – 240.
• Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in practice: Designing and developing useful language tests. USA: Oxford University Press.
• Bakken, L., Brown, N., & Downing, B. (2015). Early childhood education: The long-term benefits. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 31(2), 255-269.
• Barın, M. (2000). Yabancı dil öğretiminde konuşma becerisinin önemi. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 26, 123-127.
• Bayyurt, Y. (2013). Current perspectives on sociolinguistics and English language education. The Journal of Language Teaching and Learning, 1, 69-78.
• Boonkit, K. (2010). Enhancing the development of speaking skills for non-native speakers of English. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2, 1305–1309.
• Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (2nded.). New York: Pearson Education.
• Budria, S., Colino, A., & Martined de Ibarreta, C. (2019). The impact of host language proficiency on employment outcomes among immigrants in Spain. Empirica, 46, 625–652.
• Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E. K., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş., & Demirel, F. (2016). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayınları.
• Canale, M., & Merrill, S. (1980). Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics, 1(1), 1-47.
• Catts, H. W., Fey, M.E., Zhang, X., & Tomblin, B. (2001). Estimating the risk of future reading difficulties in kindergarten children: A research-based model and its clinical implementation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 32, 38–50.
• Chengyu, N. (2018). Implications of interrelationship among four language skills for high school English teaching. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 9(2), 418-423.
• Cook, V. J. (1999). Going beyond the native speaker in language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), 185-209.
• Crocker, L., & Algina, J. (1986). Introduction to classical and modern test theory. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
• Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334.
• Deniz, K. (2000). Yazılı anlatım becerileri bakımından köy ve kent beşinci sınıf öğrencilerinin durumu. (Yayınlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Çanakkale On Sekiz Mart Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Çanakkale.
• Doğan, Y. (2009). Konuşma becerisinin geliştirilmesine yönelik etkinlik önerileri. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(1), 185-204.
• Ergin, M. (1998). Türk dil bilgisi. İstanbul: Bayrak Yayınları.
• Erkek, G., Batur, Z., Kaplan, K., & Ercan, E. (2017). Türkçe eğitimi ve yabancı dil öğretiminde dört temel dil becerisinin edinimine ilişkin öğretmen görüşleri. Avrasya Dil Eğitimi ve Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 42-75.
• Educational Testing Service (2001). Differences in the gender gap: Comparisons across racial/ethnic groups in education and work. Policy Information Report. Princeton: Education Testing Service.
• Educational Testing Service (2017). Test and score data: Score and data summary for TOEFL iBT Test. Princeton: Education Testing Service.
• Gautam, P. (2019). Integrated and segregated teaching of language skills: An exploration. Journal of NELTA Gandaki (JoNG), 1, 100-107.
• Gazzola, M., & Mazzacani, D. (2019). Foreign language skills and employment status of European natives: Evidence from Germany, Italy and Spain. Empirica, 46, 713–740.
• Halliday, M. A. K. (1978). Language as social semiotic: The social interpretation of language and meaning. London: Edward Arnold.
• Hinkel, E. (2002). Second language writers’ text: Linguistic and rhetorical. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.
• Hinkel, E. (2010). Integrating the four skills: Current and historical perspectives. In Robert B. Kaplan. (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (2nd ed.) (pp. 110-125).
• Jing, W.U. (2006). Integrating skills for teaching EFL: Activity design for the communicative classroom. Sino-US English Teaching, 3(12).
• Kantemir, E. (1997). Yazılı ve sözlü anlatım. Ankara: Engin Yayınevi.
• Karasar, N. (1999). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi. Ankara: Nobel Yayınevi.
• Kavcar C., Oğuzkan F., & Sever, S. (1995). Türkçe öğretimi (Türkçe ve sınıf öğretmenleri için). Ankara: Engin Yayınevi.
• Khodadady, E., & Alaee, F. F. (2012). Parent education and high school achievement in English as a foreign language. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(9), 1811-1817.
• Kuder, G. F., & Richardson, M. W. (1937). The theory of estimation of test reliability. Psychometrika. 2, 151-160.
• Lüle Mert, E. (2013). Türkçe öğretmen adaylarının dört temel dil becerisine ilişkin algılarının metaforlar aracılığıyla analizi. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 6(27), 357-372.
• Lüle Mert, E. (2014). Türkçenin eğitimi ve öğretiminde dört temel dil becerisinin geliştirilmesi sürecinde kullanılabilecek etkinlik örnekleri. Ana Dili Eğitimi Dergisi, 2(1), 23-48.
• Mahmud, M. M. (2014). Communication aptitude and academic success. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 134, 125 – 133.
• Manaj-Sadiku, L. (2015). The importance of four skills reading, speaking, writing, listening in a lesson hour. European Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 1(1), 29-31.
• Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (2016). Akademik becerilerin izlenmesi ve değerlendirilmesi: 8. sınıf raporu. Ankara: MEB Yayınları.
• Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (2018). 2018 Liselere geçiş sistemi: Merkezi sınavla yerleşen öğrencilerin performansı. Eğitim Analiz ve Değerlendirme Raporları Serisi No:3. Ankara: MEB Yayınları.
• Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (2019a). Türkçe dersi öğretim programı. Ankara: MEB Yayınları.
• Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (2019b). Türkçe-Matematik-Fen Bilimleri öğrenci başarı izleme araştırması (TMF-ÖBA)-I: 2019 4. sınıf seviyesi. Eğitim Analiz ve Değerlendirme Raporları Serisi No:9. Ankara: MEB Yayınları.
• Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (2019c). PISA 2018 Türkiye ön raporu. Eğitim Analiz ve Değerlendirme Raporları Serisi No:10. Ankara: MEB Yayınları.
• Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı (2020). Dört beceride Türkçe dil sınavı: Pilot çalışma sonuçları. Eğitim Analiz ve Değerlendirme Raporları Serisi No:11. Ankara: MEB Yayınları.
• Miles, J., & Shevlin, M. (2001). Applying regression and correlation: A guide for students and researchers. London: Sage Publishing.
• Mitchell, C. B., & Vidal, K. E. (2001). Weighing the ways of the flow: Twentieth century language instruction. Modern Language Journal, 85, 26-38.
• Nunan, D. (1989). Designing tasks for the communicative classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ölçme, Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi (2018). 2018 YKS değerlendirme raporu. Değerlendirme Raporları Serisi No: 9. Ankara: ÖSYM Yayınları.
• Ozer, M., & Perc, M. (2020). Dreams and realities of school tracking and vocational education. Palgrave Communications, 6, 34.
• Ozer, M. (2020). What PISA tells us about performance of education systems?. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 9(2), 217-228.
• Özkırımlı, A. (1994). Dil ve anlatım. Ankara: Ümit Yayınevi.
• Perc, M., Ozer, M., & Hojnik, J. (2019). Social and juristic challenges of artificial intelligence. Palgrave Communications, 5, 61.
• Raikes, H., Pan, B. A., Luze, G., Tamis-LeMonda, C.S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Constantine, J., Tarullo, L. B., Raikes, H.A., & Rodriguez, E.T. (2006). Mother-child bookreading in low-income families: Correlates and outcomes during the first three years of life. Child Development, 77(4), 924-953.
• Reilly, D., Neumann D. L., & Andrews, G. (2019). Gender differences in reading and writing achievement: Evidence from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). American Psychologist, 74(4), 445– 458.
• Richels, C. G., Johnson, K. N., Walden, T. A., & Conture, E. G. (2013). Socioeconomic status, parental education, vocabulary and language skills of children who stutter. J Commun Disord., 46(4), 361-74.
• Rowe, M. L., Pan, B. A., & Ayoub, C. (2005). Predictors of variation in maternal talk to children: A longitudinal study of low-income families. Parenting: Science and Practice, 5(3), 259-283.
• Schmerse, D., Yvonne A., Flöter, M., Wieduwilt, N., Rossbach, H. G., & Tietze, W. (2018). Differential effects of home and preschool learning environments on early language development. British Educational Research Journal, 44(2), 338-357.
• Schuetz, G., Ursprung, H. W., & Woessmann, L. (2008). Education policy and equality of opportunity. Kyklos 61(2), 279–308.
• Shali, S. K. (2017). The power of listening ability and its effects on academic performance: An examination of college students. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 3(5), 1891-1896.
• Stern, H. H. (1983). Fundamental concepts of language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Storch, S.A, & Whitehurst, G. J. (2002). Oral language and code-related precursors to reading: Evidence from a longitudinal structural model. Developmental Psychology, 38, 934–947.
• Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., & Rodriguez, E. T. (2009). Parents’ role in fostering young children’s learning and language development. Language Development and Literacy: Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. Erişim adresi: http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/sites/default/files/textes-experts/en/622/parents-role-in-fostering-young-childrens-learning-and-language-development.pdf.
• Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53-55.
• Widdowson, H. G. (1978). Teaching language as communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Xue-Ping, G. (1997). A scheme for the obtaining of language skills. The Internet TESL Journal, 3(6).
• van der Slik, F. W. P., van Hout, Roeland, W. N. M., & Schepens, J. J. (2015). The gender gap in second language acquisition: Gender differences in the acquisition of Dutch among immigrants from 88 countries with 49 mother tongues. PLoS One, 10(11).