The aim of this study is to determine the opinions of prospective teachers regarding the “Motivational DesignThinking (M-DT)” (M-TOD in Turkish) training designed based on the ARCS instructional design model. The opinions of 10 prospective teachers who participated in the M-DT training were examined in the study. The research data were collected with a semi-structured interview form consisting of open-ended questions prepared by the researchers. The data obtained from the interview form were analyzed with content analysis and descriptive analysis techniques used in qualitative research. As a result of the interviews, findings were reached regarding the individual perceptions of prospective teachers regarding design and design thinking, the stages they had difficulty and were successful in the M-DT training process, their participation throughout the process, the advantages of the M-DT training process, their feelings and thoughts throughout the process, as well as their suggestions for an effective M-DT training. This study is an original research that aims to fill a limited qualitative gap in the literature regarding the design thinking training planned with ARCS-based instructional design.

This study was conducted to determine mathematics teachers' knowledge levels and opinions regarding international exams and to evaluate the exam questions they prepare within the context of international exam frameworks. Accordingly, the research was carried out using mixed-methods sequential explanatory design. This study collected data through the views of 68 middle school mathematics teachers teaching eighth grade. It also involved an analysis of 1316 written exam questions produced by 20 selected teachers from this group. According to the research findings, mathematics teachers mostly heard about the PISA and TIMSS exams informally through the media. The study identified several issues concerning Türkiye’s education system and philosophy, the teaching and learning of mathematics, and the competencies of mathematics teachers. Additionally, the study highlighted students’ cognitive and emotional capacities concerning international exams and offered recommendations for improvement. Upon examining the exam questions prepared by mathematics teachers according to the international large-scale assessment (PISA-TIMSS) frameworks, it was found that only one teacher out of 20 asked questions close to the cognitive levels of PISA, and two teachers asked questions close to the cognitive levels of TIMSS. Additionally, most of the questions in both examinations were classified at the knowledge and recall level (Level 1) of cognitive complexity. Both the teachers' opinions and the analysis of the exams they prepared indicated that teachers' awareness and knowledge of international exams needed to be at a sufficient level. The findings revealed the need to increase the effectiveness of teachers' professional development programs regarding international examinations. Particularly, it is necessary to contribute to improving the quality of the assessment tools used by teachers and to support the development of more valid and reliable measurement tools. It also emerges as an important requirement to reorganize the content of teachers' professional development programs to ensure alignment with international standards.

Emotions affect all the decisions of individuals and one of the professions that emotions are closely linked with everyday practices is teaching as emotions are highly influential on teachers’ cognition, classroom practices, classroom management, well-being, and ultimately on student success. Hence, recent research on teacher education has moved towards emotion regulation strategies and competencies of teachers. Emotion regulation strategies refer to appropriate responses of individuals to the needs and demands of their environment by changing their own emotions and expressions. However, suppressing emotions may cause serious adverse effects on teachers and protracted suppression of emotions and stress causes teacher burn-out. Research shows that emotion regulation is a social activity rather than an internal experience. Although teachers try to hide their emotions in the classroom, this can be recognized by students from the shifts in their tones and facial expressions. Teachers' professional development consists of professional knowledge and skills, but professional happiness and satisfaction are equally important. Therefore, emotion regulation is an essential skill teachers should develop as early as possible; however, this issue is rarely addressed in teacher education programs. Most conventional teacher education programs focus merely on content knowledge and general pedagogical development of prospective teachers. This paper discusses the importance of emotion regulation strategies by giving examples through a comprehensive literature review and puts forward some suggestions regarding how to incorporate emotion regulation strategies and socio-emotional competencies of prospective teachers in teacher education programs.

English language teachers often find themselves in a setting much like a football match where the ultimate aim is to score a GOAL: helping students learn English. To achieve this, EFL teachers draw on a wide range of practices and personal values. This study set out to explore what these teachers consider most essential in their work by tapping into their lived experiences and professional beliefs. Using the metaphor of the “Starting Eleven of a TEAM”, participants were asked to name the eleven most important elements they believe are necessary for effective language teaching. Adopting a mixed method sequential exploratory design, the research began with a qualitative phase involving 53 teachers, who shared their individual 'line-ups'—the qualities or strategies they rely on most. Through careful content analysis, 55 recurring themes were identified, which then formed the basis of a structured questionnaire. In the second phase, this questionnaire was distributed to 750 EFL teachers via online survey. Their responses not only validated the earlier themes but also allowed us to see which qualities stood out across a much larger sample. According to the findings, the “best players” in EFL teachers’ Starting Elevens included: loving the profession, caring for students, having strong knowledge of English, being open to innovation, showing friendliness, nurturing a love for English, creating a positive classroom environment, being reliable, respecting students’ voices, showing patience, and understanding learners’ needs. Together, these qualities paint a compelling picture of what today’s EFL teachers believe matters most in the classroom.

The aim of this study is to examine the problems encountered by classroom teachers working in public schools in Türkiye in developing literacy skills among migrant students, as well as the solutions they propose. For this purpose, teachers with migrant students in their classrooms were identified using the criterion sampling technique. The study was designed as a case study. Data were collected during the 2024–2025 academic year through an online form consisting of 17 open-ended questions. The data, collected via the online form developed by the researchers, were analysed according to four main objectives: problems encountered in teaching literacy, strategies used to develop literacy skills, challenges faced in improving literacy skills, and proposed solutions to enhance these skills. According to the findings, teachers most frequently encountered spelling errors, commonly used visual materials to develop literacy skills, and identified language deficiency as the most significant issue in acquiring literacy skills. Additionally, Turkish language support and parent education were the most frequently recommended solutions by the teachers.

This study aims to evaluate the Mathematics Curriculum of the Maarif Model, which was implemented in 2024 and represents a profound transformation in Turkey’s education system, within the framework of Stufflebeam’s CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) program evaluation model. Conducted based on the qualitative research method, the study employed the document analysis technique and examined in detail the introduction section, learning areas, learning outcomes, instructional approach, and assessment dimensions of the curriculum. The findings revealed that the curriculum is built upon philosophical foundations that prioritize and give importance to national and moral values, and that, with its student-centered and progressive structure, it aligns with modern and contemporary instructional approaches that support meaningful learning. However, the limited number of examples regarding assessment processes and the uncertainties about the measurability of certain learning outcomes point to potential challenges that may be encountered during implementation. The study offers recommendations such as enriching teacher guides in terms of subject explanation and examples, expanding the in-service training requested by teachers, and diversifying assessment and evaluation tools to enhance the applicability of the curriculum. It is considered that the study will contribute to students, teachers, academics, and thus to all educators, as well as to everyone working in the field of curriculum development in education, serve as a reference for the literature, and contribute to the shaping of educational policies.