This study aims at designing an English course based on the explicit presentation of self-regulated learning strategies to the first year university students whose medium of instruction is English to make them responsible for their own learning. First, a literature review was completed to explain self-regulated learning in details and present the studies in that area. Then, a needs assessment was conducted and the results were analyzed. Accordingly, the intended learning outcomes were decided and general teaching strategies were chosen. After deciding on the evaluation of both the students and the model, one of the units was chosen to be implemented. In that way, the strengths and weaknesses of the design could be observed. For piloting, the unit that is an introduction to the self-regulated learning strategies was chosen. In this unit, the strategies were introduced explicitly with some activities. In that way, the students' reactions to the strategies and their level of using these strategies were observed. Finally, although it was recommended to develop self regulated learning strategies implicitly in some sources, it was concluded that by the help of presenting the self-regulated learning strategies explicitly to the university students, they also became responsible for their own learning. as they become conscious about their own needs.

The paper refers how Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) were used to support teaching and learning English language in primary education classrooms in Slovakia and Estonia. The research focuses on students aged from 6 to 10 years, as well as on their English teachers. It analyses the use of IWB and its integration process in English language teaching from the perspective of pupil and his/her interactive learning process. The paper draws upon the literature review critical view on IWBs use in education. In the first part, the paper discusses society change, school reform, ICT implementation and IWBs use in Slovakia and worldwide. Secondly, it discusses some perceived pedagogical benefits and potential problems related to adopting IWBs into primary classrooms and English language teaching at primary level. Finally, the paper brings results from own research, the first part done in period April-June 2010 at basic schools in Presov region in Slovakia; the second part done in period September-December 2010 at basic schools in Estonia. Mixed methodology was appropriate due to the nature of the research questions. The research provides interesting insights which can help to better understand language learning process in this digital age. The data discussed in the paper are drawn from a study carried out as a part of a PhD research programme at University of Tartu, Estonia.

The use of mother tongue in foreign langue classes is a poorly investigated area, although its importance is inevitable taken the amount of input, thus the success of language learning into consideration. Research in this field is carried out mainly in the form of lesson observations, which provide fertile ground for the investigation of classroom practices. One productive way of the observations is English-specialised primary teachers' monitoring, because a written document called observation diary is made about the ongoing teaching and learning practice of language classes. In this paper the appearance and types of mother tongue use are summarised relying on observation diaries which include observation logs and lesson plans. Mother tongue use shapes a complex system in the context of language users, forms, functions and school tasks. Teachers' and learners' practise of using mother tongue is discussed in relation to the variety of these constituents. The most commonly used forms of mother tongue use on the part of the teacher are explanation, command, and disciplining, while language learners use it mainly for translation and summary. The observation diary writer's mother tongue use materializes in the form of comments related to the course of the lesson. Depending on language forms, there are a number of functions to which mother tongue is used, such as organization, disciplining, teaching grammatical rules, explaining rules of games, giving additional information, etc. The tendency of mother tongue use is outlined and results are also demonstrated by classes. The research method made the calculation of time duration spent on mother tongue use possible, thus the estimated time by language classes and by particular language blocks are also indicated.

This paper reports on the findings of an interview study on six secondary school language teachers' teacher identity formation in the school context. After analyzing the transcripts using Wenger's social theory of identification, three communities emerged as influential in teachers' teacher identity formation, the community with the former teachers, the community with the students and the community with the colleagues. The present paper focuses on the community with the students, discussing examples of teachers' recollections of their identification process, and a possible pattern these personal accounts add up to.

In this work are stated the aspects of teacher's role for successful realization of the educational function and classroom management. The delicacy of the educational system prescribes enlarge need of the reaffirmation in the modern way of living fraught with changes from different being. The school and the family are becoming more powerless to handle the common educational issues. As a result of that, more often we get familiar with violent and aggressive attitude, such as intolerance, harassment, gender based violence and bullying, absence of togetherness, running from classes, mutual insults, intolerance, disrespect, smoking, use of drugs and alcohol, destroying school inventory, impolite phrases directed to the teacher etc. How to get through this condition, and how to make it basic part of the educational-teaching process? In that context, in the part of initial education on the future teaches there is the need of corresponding training of the teachers and their training for successful realization of the educational function and classroom management, but also grading not only the knowledge but the total act of the students too.

The phenomenon of parental overprotection is one of the commonest parent-child relationship disorders. Despite of its incidence it was rarely investigated in the past, and this process was full of definitional problems that disturb the generalisability of earned solutions. In this study we try to summarize shortly the main theories of parental overprotection, and the attempts of empirical research. After that we show the first steps of our investigations in this area.

This study aimed to compare the stress experienced by academically talented students from three types of schools; mainstream schools, residential schools, and Mara Junior College MARA (MRSM). The difference in stress can be seen by the differences in the mean which are categorized as high, medium and low. The relationship between the stress variables with gender and type of school and its contribution to the academically talented students can also be seen in this study. A total of 177 selected samples, the sample consisted of students who earn all A's distinction in all subjects taken at the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination (equivalent to lower secondary assessment). Correlations and Multiple Regression were used to examine the relationship and interaction between two variables by gender and type of school. The results showed that gender and school type did not affect the stress. However, academically talented students from MRSM are seen to receive the highest stress. Stress is also seen to contribute only 0.6% of the students' academic achievement.

The purpose of this study is to examine the problems encountered especially with measurement and assessment, during application of the 7th grade Social Studies Curriculum, to provide possible solutions, to implement these solutions and to evaluate the results. Action research method was conducted mainly in three phases; the first phase included defining the problem, the second phase included developing, implementing and monitoring an action plan, the third phase included determining teacher', pupils' and parents' opinions about the action plan and solutions proposed by them. The participants of the study consisted of a social studies teacher, thirty seventh grade students and their parents in Maltepe district of Istanbul. Semi-structured interviews and observations, open-ended questionnaire, informal observations and interviews were conducted to gather the data. Data was analyzed in conformity with descriptive data analysis. The general conclusions reached in the study can be summarized as follows: 1) There are many obstacles arising from the teacher, students, parents and educational system during the implementation of the measurement and assessment dimension of the social studies curriculum based on constructivist learning approach. Because of these obstacles, prescribed measurement and assessment activities can not be applied exactly as predicted. The teacher and most of the students and parents were willing to use alternative assessment approaches. 2) To resolve the current problems, an action plan including literature review with teacher, meetings with students and parents, constructivist activities and alternative assessment techniques were developed and applied. 3) It is understood that use of alternative assessment techniques increases students' ability of self-expression, sense of responsibility, active participation in class and understanding of topics. However, students perceived the use of some techniques as difficult. In addition to that, studying together with the teacher was a facilitator to develop teacher's knowledge and skills about alternative assessment. It also helped the teacher to apply the measurement and assessment dimension of the curriculum more effectively. Besides, it is understood that meetings with parents should be organized more systematically and periodically.

Almost every family needs institutional education of preschool children, especially nowadays. What characterizes a modern-day family is that both parents work and education of the child is entrusted to an educational institution during a certain period of the day. The child mainly spends most of its time in kindergarten and needs to be provided with conditions as similar as possible to those in its family environment. It is essential that it be provided with encouragement for maximum development of its individual abilities and quality stay at the institution because the child sometime lives in it over eight hours a day.

Development of European higher education, part of which is the Bulgarian, is connected with the whole modernization process of different educational aspects, research activities and innovations, as well as with improving congruence, flexibility, and adaptation to social needs. One of the aims of further education, especially higher education is to stimulate individuals to form a positive attitude towards ICT and a motivation for improving qualification and competitiveness. The paper is concentrated with the relationships between various meso and micro variables and the effectiveness of learning experiences of students in Bulgarian higher education context. The analysis revealed different aspects of the relationship between Bulgarian young people and ICT: positions, opinions, and attitudes; and the significance of computer technologies in education, their effectiveness, as well as an understanding of high-qualified people. The second part of the paper is oriented towards the evaluation process in university education. The paper is based on sociological surveys conducted in South West University during the last few years with students and lecturers at the university. The paper aims to present information about the learners' positions on the provided education, including expectations towards quality of education, facilities in student's environment, support received, etc. So, the evaluation and choices of different individuals are influenced by the specific institutional and structural settings, which have determined student's perception of aspects such as supporting or discouraging personal learning. The paper intends to follow these micro and meso (institutional) level characteristics as part of a complex degree of factors that could stimulate or hamper a persons' motivation to participate actively in further education.