Within the scope of educational testing and assessment, setting standards and creating guidelines as a code of practice provide more prolific and sustainable outcomes. In this sense, internationally accepted and regionally accredited principles are suggested for standardization in language testing and assessment practices. Herein, ILTA guidelines for good practice proposed by International Language Testing Association (2007), ALTE code of practice by Association of Language Testers in Europe (1994), JLTA code of good testing practices by Japanese Language Testing Association (2002) and EALTA guidelines for good practice by European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (2006) can be cited. Amidst them, the EALTA guidelines have been adopted to 'frame a validity study' (Alderson, 2010: 63) for language testing and assessment practices. In this sense, due to the abundance of guidelines and principles, it is expected to see myriad of practices to be well-implemented and documented. However, documentation on aforementioned practical cases is rare with a few empirical studies conducted (Alderson & Banerjee, 2008; Alderson; 2010; De Jong & Zheng, 2011). Accordingly, in this paper, a practical case study on YDS (foreign language exam in Turkey) is applied regarding the EALTA guidelines with a special concern on the development of tests in national and/or institutional testing units or centers. It is, therefore, aimed to tackle the question whether YDS adheres the principles purported by EALTA with its probable high-stake consequences. Thus, the results have indicated that taking the EALTA guidelines in the course of the test development process as baseline promotes value-added language testing and assessment practices.

Önceden KPDS sınavı olarak bilinen YDS sınavı, Türkiye'de kamu personelinin ve akademisyenlerin yabancı dil yeterliliğini ölçmek için kullanılan standardize edilmiş, çoktan-seçmeli bir sınavdır. Genelde, sınava giren adaylar için başarılı/başarısız olmaları halinde önemli sonuçlar yaratıyor olması ve özelde de sınav içinde okuma becerilerinin önemi göz önüne alındığında, okuma-anlama sorularının hazırlan-masında iyi-yapılandırılmış ve uygun metinlerin seçilmesi ve kullanılması ciddi bir biçimde önem kazanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, bu çalışma 2003 ve 2013 yılları arasındaki KPDS ve YDS sınavlarının okuma metinlerini makro metin yapıları açı-sından incelemektedir. Metin analizinde, sınavlarda kullanılan okuma metinlerinde belirleyici bir makro metin yapısı olup olmadığına, makro metin yapılarının sayısı ve türlerine ve makro metin yapılarının zorluğuna bağlı olarak metin zorluğuna odak-lanılmaktadır. Çalışmanın bulguları, okuma metinlerinin yaklaşık yarısının herhangi bir belirleyici makro metin yapısına sahip olmadığını ve diğer yarısında da dört ana makro metin yapısından sadece birine yoğunlaşıldığını göstermektedir ki bu durum da seçilen metinlerin hem okuma becerilerini doğru bir biçimde ölçmesi açısından uygunluğuna hem de metin zorluğuna ilişkin önemli çıkarımlar barındırmaktadır.

ÖZET Yabancı dil her yerde olduğu gibi, Türkiye'de de eğitim ve iş için gereklidir. Yabancı dil puanı ise, özellikle lisansüstü eğitim görebilmek, akademisyen olabilmek, bazı kamu kuruluşlarında görev alabilmek ve hatta görevde yükselebilmek için gerekli şartlardan biridir. Bu puan farklı sınavlar ile elde edilmektedir. ÖSYM'nin uyguladığı, zaman zaman isimleri değişmekle beraber, yabancı dil seviyesini belirlemek üzere yapılan bu sınavlar, ortaya çıkan puan ortalamaları ve sınavın şekli itibariyle sık sık gündeme gelmektedir. Herhangi bir alanda yüksek lisans veya doktora yapmak isteyenlerin, doktora aşamasında iki farklı dil puanına ihtiyacı olan yabancı dil çalışanların ve hem de üniversitelerde görev alabilmek, görevde yükselebilmek için gerekli olan bu dil sınavları, bireylerin önüne önceleri ÜDS ve KPDS olarak çıkmıştır, 2013’ten beri de YDS olarak çıkmaktadır. Bu sınavlarda istenen puanların alınamaması farklı sorunları da beraberinde getirmektedir. Yabancı dil öğrenme kültürümüz, bireysel öğrenme biçimlerimiz, ders çalışma alışkanlıklarımız, eğitim aldığımız alan, olması gereken yabancı dil eğitim sistemi ile sınav sistemlerinin birbiriyle çelişmesi ve YDS'ye bakış açımız araştırılması gereken bazı alt başlıklardandır. Bu çalışmada Türkiye’deki farklı üniversite ve bölümlerde lisansüstü eğitim gören veya görmüş olan 214 öğrencinin yabancı dil tutum ve davranışları ile yabancı dil sınavına bakışlarını ölçmek amacıyla uzman görüşü alınarak anket uygulaması yapılmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: lisansüstü seviyede yabancı dil, yabancı dil sorunları, YDS, yabancı dil sınavlar, dil puanı. FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROBLEMS AT GRADUATE LEVEL ABSTRACT Foreign language is necessary for both education and work in Turkey like everywhere. Foreign language score is one of the requirements especially for graduate education, to be academician, to get a position in some state foundations and even to promate in a work. This score is taken with different exams. These exams, which ÖSYM apply to decide one’s foreign language level, still remain on the agenda in terms of their average scores and styles. From 2013 on called as YDS, which was formerly ÜDS and KPDS, is needed by those who want to have a graduate or postgraduate degree, who need an extra foreign language and who want to promote and to have a position at a university. Not being able to get desired scores in these exams causes different problems. Our foreign language learning approach, individual learning styles, studying strategies, education area, contradiction of education and exam systems and our approach to YDS are some subcategories that need research. In this study, a qustionnaire was applied in order to evaulate the attitude and behaviours of 214 students who still maintain or finished graduate or postgraduate education to foreign language exam. The reason behind high language scores of graduates of education faculties is and the and positive contributions to the organization of language learning is that they work. But despite being the maximum working group lessons, language learning for FEAS alumni group with a low score and a language score at the desired level is an open problem. But the number of areas and support to the both courses is very low as well as working predominantly in the range of 0-2 hours working on their own courses. All these results are quit cause two out considering: First, the acquired learning habits during the school life of the language teaching methods of accuracy in the country, the quality of learning, second, conducted in the presence of individual or course, the method is and duration. Also to go on a course that has been concluded with the participants enough time separating foreign language. In this context arises individual self-criticism. Results of the participants revealed that foreign language learning necessity. Foreign language is not a case of force that can be learned or taught. After starting language learning with individual curiosity request enters the sources and methods of operation. Most participants said that experience difficulties in motivation, showed that in fact is causing the problem. The collapse of social prejudice against the foreign language needs to be done for it and learned / acquired information is to provide the ability to use the environment. The majority of the group on their own course work that they are working less than two hours or days. Depending on whether self-study methods taught in schools, that should be considered on how efficient these two hours late. Here are put time management issue. In schools to students in basic level, instead of useless information piles, changing and developing time management that can be used in all areas of life, the ways of getting the right information, they should be better diagnosis can project work. More applications must be submitted to familiarize themselves with individuals at all levels. In this way the lessons of being a task should be removed and converted into an area where individuals enjoy. Participants, the lack of multiple-choice yds'n and language skills are equally agreed that measuring is required. The style of the exam questions used in this case should be revised. Talk to the opposite side of the individuals was concluded that the weight of incomprehension concerns. In this case, it is the work for speaking and listening skills has less to do and emerging areas of daily life can not find these skills. When the results are evaluated, has emerged once again the importance of the following issues: Teaching-learning culture and education methods must be changed permanently. Experts for this service by teachers-training should be given. Applied exams individuals should exercise to test the culture, because foreign language is something other than measured by testing and language teaching is contrary to the language of nature. The expansion of Turkey, replacing the existing state-driven learning and lifelong learning and understanding is required to settle. Lifelong learning means, does not mean reading outside schools, lifelong learning is really durable and can be used to obtain information. Key Words: foreign language at graduate level, foreign language problems, foreign language exams, language scor

Faculty development in higher education is a promising area of research, which requires further study in terms of present-day academics’ needs. Considering the necessity of English in academia, this study aimed to determine the academics’ language needs and to test the effectiveness of an academic development training designed based on the identified needs. Then, a multiphase mixed methods design was adopted to answer the aims. Accordingly, a needs analysis survey regarding the English language requirements of university faculties was conducted across 105 faculty members in Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University, a Turkish state university. In addition, 35 out of the members completed an intensive three-week English conversation and academic writing program designed in accordance with the language needs of the academics. The changes between the pre-test and post-test scores for the academics were investigated, with a focus on the willingness to communicate in English, and perceived self-efficacies in English speaking and writing. Further, the academics’ opinions on the training program were collected with open-ended interview questions at the conclusion of the course. The needs analysis survey results indicated that the majority of academics believe their English is either at a beginner or elementary level, and that they require English to fulfil several academic purposes. The findings relating to the effectiveness of the training program showed significant differences in the academics’ pretest and post-test scores, in favor of the post-test scores, regarding willingness to communicate, and perceived self-efficacies in speaking and writing. The findings from the open-ended questions about the program confirmed the effectiveness of the course and highlighted the necessity to improve foreign language proficiency levels in university faculties through similar language training programs. In light of the findings, implications for the internalization of the higher education institutions are discussed at the end of the paper.

The performances of candidates during the exam period depend on several factors, such as the temperature in exam halls. The indoor amount of CO 2 is over 1000 ppm, which in turn, could directly affect the performances of the candidates directly via headache, dizziness, fatigue, and a loss of concentration. In this study, changes in the indoor amount of CO 2 in some central exam were examined, and certain evaluations were made. The findings of the present study indicate that the threshold value is usually exceeded within 10 minutes, following the start of exams, and when indoor CO 2 amounts are higher than 1500 ppm, which is considered in most exams as the limit of harm to health, and circulating air in the hallways and keeping the doors of exam halls open throughout the exam period are not adequate for keeping the indoor CO 2 amounts below 1000 ppm. Air circulation is a must in exam halls to ensure healthy exam environments.

Postgraduate education, which students has successfully completed his undergraduate education, and can continue their education in a science with the area that they are interested, is a training phase. In universities in our country, but in the interim periods are rarely, usually during the months of July and August , applicants are taken to a graduate program. In this application , ALES, foreign language score and the undergraduate , post- graduate grade point average based on certain ratios ,are arranged in order. In this study, in 2011-2012 academic year, ales, foreign language and grades of 216 candidates who applied to Inönü University, Institute of Education Sciences have been comparatively studied. According to the survey, there are negative relations between Ales points which most of the candidates have a high grade point average and scores of foreign language and this has been determined. However, while there is a significant and positive relationship between undergraduate grade point average and ALES scores, a significant relationsihip between scores of undergraduate grade point average and foreign language has not been determined. Lisansüstü eğitim, lisans eğitimini başarıyla tamamlamış öğrencilerin, mezun oldukları alan veya yasal olarak engel olmaması kaydıyla, ilgi duydukları bir bilim dalında öğrenimleri devam edebilecekleri bir eğitim safhasıdır. Ülkemizdeki üniversitelerde, ara dönemlerde nadiren olmakla birlikte, genellikle temmuz ve ağustos aylarında lisansüstü programlara başvurular alınmaktadır. Bu başvurularda, adayların ALES puanı, yabancı dil puanı ve lisans, yüksek lisans not ortalamaları belirli oranlarda alınarak, adaylar sıralamaya alınmaktadırlar. Bu çalışmada; 2011-2012 öğretim yılında, İnönü Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü’ne başvuran 216 adayın, ALES, yabancı dil ve mezuniyet not ortalamaları karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre; adayların en yüksek not ortalamalarının ALES puanları olduğu ve yabancı dil puanları ile ALES puanları arasında negatif yönde bir ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte adayların, lisans not ortalamaları ile ALES puanları arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki görülürken, lisans not ortalamaları ve yabancı dil puanları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilmemiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Lisansüstü Program, Yüksek Lisans, Doktora, ALES, Yabancı Dil Puanı, Mezuniyet Puanı.

This study had two main purposes: (1) to investigate to what extent students perceive their science teacher as supportive and determine the level of students’ motivation toward and engagement in science and (2) to examine the relationship among teacher support, students’ motivation, and student engagement in science. Student motivation was considered as task-value and academic self-concept while student engagement included aspects of agentic, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. In the study, survey method was used and the data were collected though previously validated self-report questionnaires. Valid data were obtained from 1006 students from grade 6 (35%), 7 (34%), and 8 (%31), who enrolled in one of 9 public middle schools located in Erzurum. 48% of the participants were girls and 52% were boy. The average age of the students was 12.75 (SD= 1.01). With the purpose of examining the levels of teacher support, student motivation, and student engagement, descriptive statistics were conducted. Participants reported high levels of science teacher support (M= 4.69 over 6, SD= 1.25). Moreover, students reported high levels of motivation (mean for self-concept was 4.17 over 5 and mean for task-value was 5.89 over 7) and engagement (means for sub-scales ranged from 2.89 to 3.41 over 4). In order to examine the relationships among aforementioned variables, a path analysis using LISREL 8.80 programme was conducted. Analysis results showed that teacher support statistically significantly and positively predicted task-value and academic self-concept. Furthermore, students’ who reported high levels of task-value and academic self-concept showed higher levels in all engagement aspects (i.e., agentic, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive). Accordingly, it is important for science teachers to listen students, behave fairly, and help student to solve their problems in order to motivate their students’ science learning and increase their engagement in science class.