About the Project


Project Title: Accessible Science Education: An Instructional Design and Evaluation for an Effective Science Teaching to 6th Grade Visually Impaired Students
Project Number: 114K725

This Project is funded by Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) under the Grant # 114K725. We would like to thank to TÜBİTAK for financial support, and the teachers and students who voluntarily participated in the study.

Project Summary:
This project aims to develop an effective instructional design for teaching basic science concepts in the selected of Units of 6th Grade Science Course (Unit 5: Plant and Animal Reproduction, Growth and Development, Unit 6: Matter and Heat, Unit 7: Electricity Transmission) from different learning domains (Living Beings and Life, Matter and Change, Physical Events) by determining the individual learning needs of 6th grade visually impaired students.

The project is carried our as a design-based research process. The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 24 months, composes three phases. The first phase of the project is a case study which aims at determining visually impaired students individual learning needs in science learning and their understanding levels of the basic science concepts in the subject to be examined. This phase requires the use of a qualitative approach. In this context, needs analysis is done through intensive classroom observations and semi-structured student and teacher interviews. In the second phase, teaching materials and activities covering basic science concepts from the selected units according to the determined individual learning needs is designed and developed, and they are trialled with visually impaired students. In the third phase, the usefulness and applicability of the instructional design, and its contribution to concept learning is evaluated through in-class observations and semi-structured student and teacher interviews.

 

 

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Short Biography


I am a professor of chemistry education. My research interests include teacher training, curriculum evaluation, how students’ learn in science/chemistry, undergraduates’ understandings of chemical ideas in thermodynamics, context-based teaching, problem-based learning, trends in science/chemistry education, and teaching science/chemistry to visually impaired students.

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I am an assistant professor in biology education. My research interests include instructional design in biology education, instrument development, computer assisted instruction and trends in biology and science education in Turkey and the World, how students’ learn in science/biology, undergraduates’ understandings of biology ideas and students' misconceptions, constructivist learning, context-based teaching.

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I am an assistant professor working at the department of special education at Gazi University, Gazi Education Faculty. My research expertise is on teaching and learning for visually impaired students. I particularly work on parents’ education, classroom management and early childhood education for specially needs students.

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I am an assistant professor in physics education. I received my Ph.D. from Middle East Technical University in 2014 with a doctoral dissertation on visually impaired students about how to learn physics in inclusive classrooms. I am currently working at the Faculty of Education at the University of Kafkas For more information about please visit www.fizikli.com, For contact information, please visit www.fizikli.com/editor

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I am an research assistant at the department of special education in Gazi University. I completed my graduate and masters degree at Gazi University, Department of special education.i am doing my doctoral studyat same department. My research interests include functional vision, assistive technology, teaching visually impaired.

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Short Biography


I am graduated from METU (Middle East Technical University) in 2009. I started my graduate study at Atatürk University in 2010.I have been working as a research assistant at department of chemistry education department in Atatürk University since 2011. My study and interests: science teaching to visual impairments, inclusion, sociology of disability and neuroscience of visual impairments.

I received my PhD with a thesis entitled “Teaching concepts related “Phases of Matter and Heat” unit to 8th grade visually impaired primary students” in July 2016 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mustafa SÖZBİLİR

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I am a research assistant working at the department of mathematics and science education in Artvin Çoruh University. I received my MSc in Analytical Chemistry and from Ankara University and received PhD degree from Atatürk Üniversity in chemistry education. My research interests include design-based research, curriculum analysis, scientific literacy, concept development and teaching science/chemistry to visually impaired students.

I received my PhD with a thesis entitled “Teaching the concepts in particulate nature of matter to 6th grade visually impaired students” in February 2017 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mustafa SÖZBİLİR

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I have been working as a science teacher in various schools in Erzurum since 2009 and currently working in Erzurum Palandöken Âşık Yaşar Reyhani Middle School. My research interests on assesment and evaluation in education, concept teaching in science, design-based research and teaching science to visualy impaired students.

I am still working on my PhD thesis with the title “Teaching “System in our Body” unit to 6th grade visually impaired primary students” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mustafa SÖZBİLİR

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I am graduated with an undergraduate degree in science education from Atatürk University in 2006. My research interests include science teaching to visual impairments, design-based research, curriculum analysis and concept development.

I received my PhD with a thesis entitled “Teaching the concepts related to “Electricity in Our Life” unit to visually impaired students in 8th grade” in July 2016 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mustafa SÖZBİLİR

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I am a MSc student at department of chemistry education department in Atatürk University since 2016. My study and interests include science teaching to visually impaired students.

I am still working on my MSc thesis with the title “Teaching energy in living organisms to visually impaired student in an inclusive classroom” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mustafa SÖZBİLİR







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I am graduated from the Department of Computer Science and Instructional Technology Education Department at Atatürk University in 2016. My interest include computer games, 3D design and web page design. I currently work in an IT company as an ICT specialist.

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I am an undergraduate student at the Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies at Ataturk University.