This study was conducted to gather information about how university students learning English as a foreign language managed their learning processes while doing homework as an out-of-school learning activity. Possible signs of autonomy development were also investigated. The participants of the study consisted of 22 learners of English at a state university in Izmir, Turkey, and their teacher. Retrospective self-reports written by students and observation notes of the teacher/researcher were used for data collection over a 12-week period. The data was analysed through directed content analysis. Difficulties encountered during the homework production phase and ways of coping with them were discussed in detail. High motivation, positive attitudes towards language learning, self-awareness, decreased anxiety, self-confidence, self-evaluation, taking responsibility, and creating own tasks, which were thought to indicate autonomy development, were found. The study also underlined the need for teachers to consider the social and economic differences among students when assigning homework. Overall, the findings suggest that thoughtfully designed homework tasks, combined with reflective support, can enhance learner autonomy and foster long-term independent learning skills.

This research was conducted to explore the perceptions of students and instructors of Plagiarism. A phenomenological study was conducted to determine the causes of Plagiarism, whether students have a good command of the English language, whether they possess the required citation and research skills, whether students and instructors understand Plagiarism similarly or differently, and whether students plagiarize intentionally or unintentionally. Samples were taken from the Business Faculty of Saint Mary’s University. Thirty students were selected using purposive sampling from both regular and extension students, and eight instructors were nominated purposively. Both primary and secondary sources were used while gathering data. Data were gathered through open-ended questionnaires comprising 12 items. The data were analyzed in narrative form and percentages. The findings revealed that students lacked proficient English language skills and research abilities, which hindered their ability to conduct independent research. As to knowledge, both students and instructors had a similar understanding of Plagiarism. According to respondents, students commit both intentional and unintentional types of Plagiarism. Student and instructor respondents identified different factors as causes of plagiarism. Laziness, fear of challenge, lack of experience in doing research, lack of creativity, lack of self-confidence and commitment, lack of preparation and time, lack of dedication to learn effectively, desire to get high grades through short cuts, poor English and research skills, failure to study diligently, lack of resources, dependency syndrome, carelessness, greed, being immoral, inappropriate teaching methods, advisors failure to check the work of students properly were the causes identified as causes for Plagiarism.

This qualitative study examined professional development in education, its effectiveness, and the role of administration in professional development, and provided recommendations for improvement. This topic is critical because the literature suggests that professional development is a challenge for education stakeholders both locally and nationally. Teachers have criticized traditional forms of professional development as irrelevant and unhelpful for authentic learning and development. The literature review also suggests differing views on the effectiveness of professional development. Research shows that professional development can either significantly help teachers and positively impact their students' learning or be ineffective in promoting learning. This study surveyed teachers from one district in central Illinois, and participants were selected from various subjects and experience levels. This study concluded that teachers have negative perceptions of professional development, the role that administration plays in planning and implementing professional development, and its impact on and relation to teacher retention. This research aimed to assist teachers, administrators, superintendents, and professional development practitioners in creating, receiving, and delivering effective and beneficial professional development.

In this study, we examined the effect of the digital storytelling method on 7th-grade students’ scientific process skills and their attitudes toward the science course within the context of the “Cells and Cell Division” unit. The research was conducted using an action research design, with a sample consisting of gifted students divided into experimental and control groups. With the students in the experimental group, we produced digital stories using Adobe Character Animator software. During this process, students were asked to write scientifically grounded scripts based on the “Cells and Cell Division” topic and design appropriate characters and scenes. Then, they voiced the characters they had created, recorded their dialogues, and used features such as facial expression tracking, motion detection, and lip synchronization offered by the software to generate their digital stories. In contrast, the students in the control group were taught the same topic using traditional, teacher-centered instructional methods, based on the content and learning outcomes specified in the Ministry of National Education’s curriculum. At the end of the implementation, the “Scientific Process Skills Test” and the “Science Attitude Scale” were administered to determine the impact of the intervention. Our research findings revealed that the digital storytelling method had a statistically significant and positive effect on both the students’ scientific process skills and their attitudes toward science. Post-test scores of students in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of their peers in the control group. Effect size values were calculated to be high for both variables, providing quantitative support for the substantial impact of digital storytelling on learning outcomes. Throughout the digital storytelling process, we observed that students actively participated in tasks such as scriptwriting, character design, voice acting, and animation, acting as content creators.