ACADEMICIANS' PREDICTIONS OF 21st CENTURY EDUCATION AND EDUCATION IN THE 21st CENTURY

Abstract

This study aims to discover expectations/predictions of academic members about the education of 21^st century, and to raise awareness of academicians for education in the future. The survey is designed in a descriptive model as a survey as it aims to uncover the objective reality of the teaching staff's 21^st century education in a holistic way. Descriptive analysis method in qualitative data analysis techniques was used since the data obtained from the research consist of qualitative discourse. Participants of the survey included all the teaching staff who participated in the training within the scope of "Project for Acquiring the Form of Educator for Academicians" supported by University Project Management Office between the years 2014-2016. The data collection tool used in the study was developed by the researcher. Five open-ended questions depending on the purpose and sub-problems of the research were asked to the faculty members. Participatory confirmation and self-reflection strategies were used to ensure the internal reliability of the every collection tool. What they understood from the questions, their opinions, comments were asked to the participants and then it was evaluated whether the questions express something to them and reflect their experiences. The answers were first compared to each other and then to the sub-objectives of the research. Scope of six problems used in the data collection tool was provided with literature, the research problem, the aim of the research and directly with the research questions. The generalization of research findings to similar environments was evident in the findings of descriptive qualitative analysis. In the analysis of the data, descriptive analysis in qualitative data analysis methods was used. The data were analyzed taking into account the themes / dimensions of the research questions. Responses given by the participants in writing regarding the research questions were coded by open coding technique. The expressions of the same size, which were indicated by different lecturers were combined. In this context, the answers obtained from the groups were coded according to these dimensions of the research. These answers were then separated into categories and their frequencies were determined. Then the categories obtained from the answers were collected under a common theme. All these questions are tabled and interpreted from findings, categorizations, and themes. In the research findings, educational environments in the 21^st century, educational problems, student expectations, competencies required by educators, problems encountered by educators and key concepts were revealed and analyzed. In all of the five questions asked to participants, fifteen common themes were shared, some of which were jointly addressed. Thus; technological development, education environment, practical education, globalization, interactive / interactive education, international education, exams and measurement and evaluation, commercialization and economic strength, learning, learning to learn, thinking skills, values education, language communication and program obtained and interpreted.

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