International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 2834-7919   |  e-ISSN: 1554-5210

Original article | International Journal of Progressive Education 2018, Vol. 14(1) 32-55

Life Skills from the Perspectives of Classroom and Science Teachers

Nuray Kurtdede-Fidan & Bülent Aydoğdu

pp. 32 - 55   |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2018.129.4   |  Manu. Number: .R1

Published online: February 11, 2018  |   Number of Views: 570  |  Number of Download: 1195


Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine classroom and science teachers’ views about life skills. The study employed phenomenological method. The participants of the study were 24 teachers; twelve of them were classroom teachers and the remaining were science teachers. They were working at public schools in Turkey. The participants were selected using the maximum variation sampling technique. The data of the study was collected through focus group interviews. Six focus group interviews consisting of four participants per focus group were conducted. The findings of the research showed, teachers play a significant role in the process of acquiring life skills.  Furthermore, teachers expressed that science courses were significant setting to teach life skills. In the current research it was found that the participants used some in class and extracurricular activities to teach life skills. In addition, teachers expressed that they experienced difficulty in teaching life skills due to problems related to teachers, parents, school, educational program, educational system, school management and society.

Keywords: life skills, classroom teachers, focus group, science teachers, and curriculum


How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Kurtdede-Fidan, N. & Aydogdu, B. (2018). Life Skills from the Perspectives of Classroom and Science Teachers. International Journal of Progressive Education, 14(1), 32-55. doi: 10.29329/ijpe.2018.129.4

Harvard
Kurtdede-Fidan, N. and Aydogdu, B. (2018). Life Skills from the Perspectives of Classroom and Science Teachers. International Journal of Progressive Education, 14(1), pp. 32-55.

Chicago 16th edition
Kurtdede-Fidan, Nuray and Bulent Aydogdu (2018). "Life Skills from the Perspectives of Classroom and Science Teachers". International Journal of Progressive Education 14 (1):32-55. doi:10.29329/ijpe.2018.129.4.

References
  1. Baysal, Z. N. (2015). Okuldan Yaşama Uzanan Köprü: Hayat Bilgisi Dersinde Beceri Öğretimi.[The Bridge Extending to Life from School: Teaching of Skills in Life and Social Science Course]. M. Gültekin (Ed.), Hayat Bilgisi Öğretimi [Life and Social Science Teaching]. 215-248. Ankara: Nobel Press. [Google Scholar]
  2. Botvin, G. J., & Kantor, L. W. (2001). Preventing alcohol and tobacco use through life skills training. Alcohol Research and Health, 24, 250–257. [Google Scholar]
  3. Brynes, J.P. (2002). The Development of Decision Making. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(66), 208-215. [Google Scholar]
  4. Carroll, T. (2007). “Teaching for the Future,” Chapter 4 in Building a 21st Century U.S. Education System. National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. http://www.nctaf.org/resources/research_and_reports/nctaf_research_reports/documents/Chapter4.Carroll.pdf [Google Scholar]
  5. CCert, J.K.W.B. (2014). Primary school pupils’ life skills development: The case for primary school pupils’ development in Ugand. (Unpublished Doctorate Thesis) Mary Immaculate College Limerick. [Google Scholar]
  6. Chien, N., Harbin, V., Goldhagen, S., Lippman, L., & Walker, K. E. (2012). Encouraging the development of key life skills in elementary school-age children: A literature review and recommendations to the Tauck Family Foundation. Child Trends Working Paper. Publication -28. [Google Scholar]
  7. Chirwa, G. & Naidoo, D. (2014). Structural and social constraints in the teaching of Life Skills for HIV/AIDS prevention in Malawi primary schools. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 4(1): 61-79. [Google Scholar]
  8. Creswell, J. W. (2013b). Qualitative inquiry and research design Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks CA: Sage. [Google Scholar]
  9. Dewey, R. A. (2007). Psychology: An introduction Retrieved 15/03/2016, from http://www.intropsych.com [Google Scholar]
  10. Dökme, İ. & Ozansoy, Ü. (2004). Fen öğretiminde bilimsel iletişim kurabilme becerisi.[Communicating In Science Education]. XIII. National Education Conference, 6-9 July, İnönü University, Malatya.  [Google Scholar]
  11. Erawan, P. (2010). Developing Life Skills Scale for High School Students through Mixed Methods Research. European Journal of Scientific Research. 47(2), 169-186.  [Google Scholar]
  12. Fraenkel, Jack R., Wallen, N. E. & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education. (8th Ed.). NY: McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar]
  13. Güneş, F. (2012). Öğrencilerin Düşünme Becerilerini Geliştirme. [Improving the Thinking Skills of Students]. Journal of Turkology Research. (TÜBAR), 32 (2), 127-146.  [Google Scholar]
  14. Hodge, K., Danish, S., & Martin, J. (2013). Developing a conceptual framework for life skills interventions. The Counseling Psychologist, 41(8), 1125–1152. [Google Scholar]
  15. Ibarraran, P., Ripani, L., Taboada, B., Villa, J. M and García, B. (2014). Life skills, employability and training for disadvantaged youth: Evidence from a randomized evaluation design. IZA Journal of Labor & Development, 3(1), 1-24.  [Google Scholar]
  16. İlhan, A. & İnce, E. (2015). Takım çalışması ve takım etkinliğini belirleyen faktörlerin ölçülmesi: Gaziantep üniversitesinde bir uygulama. [Teamwork and measuring the factors that specify the efficiency of teamwork: A practice at Gaziantep University] Kahramanmaraş Sütçü Imam University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Journal, 5(1), 127-152.  [Google Scholar]
  17. James, O. (2010). Awareness and application of life skills education in primary schools in post-conflict areas: a case of Kalaki county Kaberamaido district. Unpublished Master Thesis. Makerere University: Kalaki.  [Google Scholar]
  18. Jayaram, S., & Engmann, M. (2014). Developing skills for employability at the secondary level: Effective models for Asia. Prospects, 44(2), 221–233. [Google Scholar]
  19. Kennedy, F. & Pearson, D. (2014). The life skills assessment scale: measuring life skills of disadvantaged children in the developing world. Social Behavior and Personality, 42(2), 197-210. [Google Scholar]
  20. Kalanda, B. F. (2010). Life skills and reproductive health education changes behaviour in students and teachers: Evidence from Malawi. Educational Research and Reviews, 5(4), 169-174. [Google Scholar]
  21. Karaman, P. & Karaman, A. (2016). Fen Bilimleri Öğretmenlerinin Yenilenen Fen Bilimleri Öğretim Programına Yönelik Görüşleri [Opinions of Science Teachers about the Revised Science Education Program]. Erzincan University Journal of Educational Faculty, 18(1), 243-269.  [Google Scholar]
  22. Kesim (2010). Girişimcilik Ders Kitabı [Entrepreneurship Course Book]. Ankara: Sistem Press. [Google Scholar]
  23. Kösterelioğlu, İ. & Bayar, A. (2014). Türk eğitim sisteminin sorunlarina ilişkin güncel bir değerlendirme. [An assessment on recent issues of turkish education system]. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies. 25(1), 177-187.  [Google Scholar]
  24. Malloy, C. ve Jones, M. (1998). An investigation of african american students’ mathematical problem solving. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 29 (2), 143-164. [Google Scholar]
  25. Margaret C. Harrell, Melissa A. Bradley (2009). Data Collection Methods Semi-Structured Interviews and Focus Groups. RAND Corporation. Santa Monica [Google Scholar]
  26. Miles, M. B., Hubermann, A.M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [Google Scholar]
  27. MONE (2013). Science Teaching Curriculum (3rd,4th,5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade) Ankara. [Google Scholar]
  28. Mutluer, C. (2013). Sosyal bilgiler programlarında yer alan beceriler hakkında sosyal bilgiler öğretmen görüşleri (İzmir menemen örneği).[The views of social studies teachers about the skills contained in social studies (The example of Izmir menemen)] Turkish Studies, 8(7), 355-362. [Google Scholar]
  29. Özdemir, D. (2015). Fen bilimleri öğretmenlerinin yaşam becerileri hakkındaki görüşleri. [Science teachers' views about life skills]. Unpublished Master Thesis. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University.  [Google Scholar]
  30. Parthsarathy, R., Renjith, RP. & Shobitha, SK. (2009). Life skills education: Psychosocial intervention in child and adolescent mental health. Manual, Department of Psychiatric Social Work: NIMHANS, Bangalore. [Google Scholar]
  31. Parvathy, V. & Renjith, R.R. (2015). Impact of Life Skills Education on Adolescents in Rural School. International Journal of Advanced Research, 3(2), 788-794. [Google Scholar]
  32. Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [Google Scholar]
  33. Polat, S. & Aktop, E. (2010), Öğretmenlerin duygusal zeka ve örgütsel destek algılarının girişimcilik davranışlarına etkisi [Effect on Entrepreneurial Behavior of Perceptions of the Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Support of Secondary School Teachers]. Journal of Acedemic Perspective 22, 1-19. [Google Scholar]
  34. Prinsloo, D.J. (2007). Implementation of life orientation programs in the new curriculum in South African schools: Perceptions of principals and life orientation teachers. South African Journal of Education, 27(1):155–170. [Google Scholar]
  35. Reynolds, P.D. (2005). Understanding business creation: Serendipity and scope in two decades of business creation studies. Small Business Economics, 24, 359-364. [Google Scholar]
  36. Roselyne, K. (2014). Teaching life skills curriculum in primary schools in Lurambi division, kakamega county, Kenya. Unpublished Doctoral Thesis. Kenyatta University. [Google Scholar]
  37. Sharma, S. (2003). Measuring life skills of adolescents in a secondary school of Kathmandu: An experience. Kathmandu University Medical Journal, 1(3), 170-176. [Google Scholar]
  38. Soran, H., Akkoyunlu, B. & Kavak, Y. (2006) Yaşam Boyu Öğrenme Becerileri ve Eğiticilerin Eğitimi Programı: Hacettepe Üniversitesi Örneği [Life-Long Learning Skills And Training Faculty Members: A Project At Hacettepe University). Hacettepe University Journal of Edcation,, 30, 201-210. [Google Scholar]
  39. Starko, A. J. (2004). Creativity in the classroom: Schools of curious delight. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. [Google Scholar]
  40. Sternberg, R. J. (2002). Raising the achievement of all students: Teaching for successful intelligence. Educational Psychology Review, 14, 383–393. [Google Scholar]
  41. Straub, J. T. (2002). Ekip Kurma ve Yönetme [Recruiting and Managing]. (Turkish Translate: Savaş Şenel) İstanbul: Life Press  [Google Scholar]
  42. Tillman, D. (1997). Living values: an Educational Initiative. New York: Brahma Kumaris Wold Spiritual University. [Google Scholar]
  43. World Health Organization (WHO), (1993). Life skills education in schools. Geneva: Division of Metal Health and Prevention of Substance Abuse. [Google Scholar]
  44. World Health Organization (WHO), (1996). Life skills education planning for research. Geneva: Division of Metal Health and Prevention of Substance Abuse. [Google Scholar]
  45. World Health Organization (WHO), (1997).  Life skill education in school. Program on mental health, division of mental health and prevention of substance abuse, Geneva. WHO/MNH/PSF/93.7A.Rev.2. [Google Scholar]
  46. World Health Organisation (WHO), (1999). WHO information series on school health. Preventing hiv/aids/sti and related discrimination: An important responsibility of healthpromoting schools. WHO/HPR/HEP/98.6. Geneva: WHO. [Google Scholar]
  47. Yıldırım, A., Şimşek, H. (2005). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Ankara: Seçkin Publishing. [Google Scholar]