BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is finding out the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of nursing school students regarding Genetically Modified Organisms. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted students of Gulhane Military Medical Academy Nursing School on February-May 2010. In our study the sample is not selected, the research tried to involve the whole all population (n=354). The socio-demographical characteristics of the participants as well as their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on Genetically Modified Organisms were gathered by a structured questionnaire developed by the researchers. RESULTS: Of the participants 82.9% (n=287) stated that people in the community weren't adequately informed about GM foods, 77.7% (n=269) stated that they considered GM food production as risky for all living things in nature, 85.5% (n=296) stated that the food they currently preferred might include some GM products. CONCLUSION: The risk perceptions of the participants of our study, who are going to make up the future workforce in health sector, was found out to be high while the results showed that they had insufficient information on the issue. It is recommended that educational activities aiming at eliminating the lack of information of students should be included in the curriculum plans.

Problem Durumu: Bu çalışmada ortaokul öğrencilerinin dinleme/izleme becerisine yönelik öz yeterlik algıları sınıf düzeyi, cinsiyet, anne-baba eğitim durumu, önceki yıla ait Türkçe dersi başarı puanı gibi değişkenlere göre incelenmiştir. Yöntem: Araştırma, "İlişkisel Tarama Modeli"nde betimsel bir çalışmadır. Bu model bağlamında araştırma, nicel araştırmaya bağlı olarak korelasyonel araştırma yönteminde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Öğrencilerin dinleme/izleme öz yeterlik düzeylerini belirlemek için geçerliği ve güvenirliği kanıtlanmış "Dinleme Öz Yeterlik Ölçeği" kullanılmıştır. Ölçek kullanılmadan önce doğrulayıcı faktör analizi yapılarak ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirliğine ek kanıt elde edilmiştir. Araştırma İzmir ilinde 6,7 ve 8. sınıflarda öğrenim gören 748 ortaokul öğrencisi üzerinde yapılmıştır. Bulgular: Araştırma sonucunda cinsiyete göre dinleme öz yeterliğinin kız öğrencilerin lehine anlamlı şekilde farklılaştığı; sınıf düzeyine göre 6. sınıfların en yüksek, 8. sınıfların en düşük dinleme öz yeterliğine sahip olduğu; anne-baba öğrenim durumuna göre veli eğitim durumu yüksek olan öğrencilerin dinleme öz yeterliklerinin de yüksek olduğu; önceki yıl Türkçe dersi başarı puanları ile dinleme öz yeterliği arasında olumlu yönde bir ilişkinin olduğu sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır. Sonuç ve Öneriler: Elde edilen sonuçlar alandaki diğer çalışmalarla karşılaştırılmış ve yorumlanmıştır, sonuçlardan hareketle alana öneriler getirilmiştir.

Expressing thoughts and feelings effectively is a vital skill for individuals’ professional career. University students should thus attach due importance to their communication skills as they receive their professional training. Self-efficacy beliefs can be regarded as an influential element in speaking skills, and may affect different aspects of speaking performance. In this respect, the aim of this study was to examine the speaking self-efficacy beliefs of final-year university students based on different variables. The reason why this study focused on final-year students was to determine the level at which they perceived themselves in terms of speaking in the pre-service period. Accordingly, the "Speaking Self-Efficacy Scale" was administered to 843 final-year students (454 female, and 389 male) studying at a Turkish university, and the data gathered were analysed through statistical methods. The results showed that the students' speaking self-efficacy levels were considerably high based on their scores on the scale. There was no significant difference between the students' self-efficacy beliefs based on gender, but they were observed to differ in their speaking self-efficacy beliefs based on their faculties. The analysis regarding the variable of experience in prepared speeches also revealed a significant difference in the students' speaking self-efficacy beliefs. Moreover, the university students' speaking self-efficacy beliefs were found to differ based on their annual amount of reading. It can be argued that improving the current level is possible through participation in more prepared speech activities and gaining a reading habit. Keywords: Self – Efficacy beliefs, Speaking, Speaking skills.

Discussions on how grammar should be taught have continued for decades. Previous studies have reported that today’s students called as Generation Z have shown negative attitudes toward grammar teaching with traditional methods and techniques, and that their academic achievements have failed to meet expectations. Not using methods and techniques that are consistent with the adopted philosophy of education hinders the success of this process. The study investigated the impact of computer-assisted instruction and correspondingly computer-assisted educational games on grammar academic achievement and attitudes toward grammar and Turkish course of students. In this study, a quasi-experimental design based on a quantitative study with a pretest-posttest nonequivalent group was applied. Participants of the study consisted of two classes of 6th grade students studying at a middle school. Computer-assisted educational games were designed and practiced in the experimental group within a 12-week period. For the control group, activities in the curriculum were followed during lessons. Results showed that grammar academic achievement of students between the experimental group in which computer-assisted educational games were practiced and the control group in which the existing curriculum was followed showed a significant difference in attitudes toward Turkish course and grammar on the behalf of the experimental group. Findings demonstrated that this kind of practice in teaching grammar made a significant difference on achievement and attitude of students. In addition, there was a positive, moderate and statistically significant relationship between attitudes toward grammar and Turkish course. Attitudes toward grammar of students determine attitudes toward Turkish course of students.

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