Ihlara Journal Educational Research

Kamil YILDIRIM received his Ph.D. in educational sciences, majoring in educational administration. Yıldırım has experience in different educational settings as a teacher in schools, and an expert in MoNE Board of Education and the Department of International Institutions (OECD, World Bank). He has been working at Aksaray University since 2010. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıldırım currently serves as the head of the Department of Educational Administration. His research interests include educational quality, teacher education, professional well-being, and educational leadership. Some of his recent studies are as follows.

Yildirim, K., & Aslan, A. (2021). Examination of the quality teaching in Turkish higher education based on the external evaluation reports from multiple perspectives. Journal of Qualitative Research in Education, 25, 102-125, doi: 10.14689/enad.25
Yıldırım K (2021) Analysing the role of external policy interventions in explaining the trend of school educators’ intrinsic motivation. Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research 16(1): 306-327. https://doi.org/10.29329/epasr.2020.334.17
Yıldırım K and Yenipınar Ş (2021) Examining the role of contextual conditions and leadership status of school principals from multiple perspectives. International Journal of Research in Education and Science 7(1): 207-226.

Erkan Yüce is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education at Aksaray University. He received his PhD in English Language Teaching from the Institute of Educational Sciences at Hacettepe University in 2018. His areas of interest include foreign language teaching, CEFR, curriculum and instruction, language program evaluation, content-based language teaching, educational psychology, and academic writing.

Mücahit Öztürk received his master's degree and associate professorship in the field of computer and instructional technologies education. His areas of expertise are distance education, online learning, blended learning, flipped learning, self-regulated learning and programming education. His areas of work are generative artificial intelligence, technology addiction and online assessment.

He was born in Isparta in 1983. He started undergraduate education in 2001 at music education department of Izmir Dokuz Eylül University Education Faculty. His speciality was vocal training at undergarduate education. He presented individual vocal and piano concerts during undergraduate education. Besides, he got chorister education at Turkish Radio Television Youth Choir of Izmir, Chamber Choir of Izmir Turkish State Opera and Ballet, Chamber Choir of Izmir Art and presented polyphonic choir concerts. He got private vocal education lesssons during the undergraduate education from soloist singers and chorister singers of Izmir Turkish State Opera and Ballet. He graduated with a degree (first place) from undergraduate education. After graduated from undergraduate education he started to work as music teacher at Ministry of National Education in 2006. He enrolled in master education at Music Education Department of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University in Burdur City and graduated from master education in 2011. In the mean time he gave vocal training and choir lessons at the music department of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. He presented individual piano and vocal concerts during the master education. He worked as choir chief and choir teacher at Youth Central Children Choir of Isparta and Children Choir of Burdur Municipality. He left from Ministry of National Education in 2012. After graduated from master education he started to work as a lecturer at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University in 2012. He gave vocal training and choir education lessons in that university. He started to doctora-phd education in 2013 and finished it 7th September 2017. He took Dr/Phd title. He sustained to present individual piano and vocal performances concerts as a lecturer Dr/phd. He took his student coaching certificate on july, 2018. His Phd dissertation’s name is “Self Suffıciency Perception Of Music Teachers Teaching Music Students With Special Needs”. During his Phd education, he did research assignments and studies on the music education of students with special needs. He is currently working as Asst. Prof. at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University State Conservatory in Turkey. He has given music lessons at preschools, primmary schools, high schools and university grades since 2006. His main interest fields are vocal and choir training, music education for students with special needs. He continues to give music education lessons to students with special needs.

Dr. Melike Günbey is an assistant professor of Educational Administration at Faculty of Education at Giresun University, Türkiye, specializing in higher education administration and graduate education. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Ankara University (2022), where her research focused on academic identity construction during doctoral education. Her research interests include higher education, academic identity, inclusive education and early career researchers. In addition to her research, Dr. Günbey teaches undergraduate in introduction to education and inclusive education and master degree courses in higher education administration and qualitative methods. Dr. Günbey is currently conducting her postdoctoral research project titled “A Guide for Early Career Researchers: An Identity Development Program” at Campus Fryslan, University of Groningen. 

Dr. Türker Biber received PhD from the Hacettepe University Institute of Educational Sciences, Department of Elementary Mathematics Education. Her research interests include mathematics teaching, mathematical modelling, technology in mathematics teaching, mathematical learning difficulties and creative drama.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülfem Sarpkaya Aktaş is an academic specialized in mathematics education and teacher training. She completed her postgraduate studies at Gazi University and earned her Ph.D. in 2011. She began her academic career at Aksaray University and currently works at Çukurova University, Faculty of Education, in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education. Her research interests include elementary mathematics education, mathematics teacher education, algebra instruction, constructivist learning approaches, teaching with concrete materials, cognitive demand levels of mathematical tasks, the 5E instructional model, AI-supported instructional design, and the development of students’ spatial and cognitive skills. She has published numerous articles in national and international journals, authored and contributed to several books, and actively participates in scientific projects. Additionally, she supervises master’s and doctoral theses in her field.

Dr. Morsünbül received his PhD in Educational Psychology. He currently serves as a Professor at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education. His research interests include identity and personality development, developmental psychopathology, and transition to adulthood.

Kaya completed his undergraduate education at Gazi University, Gazi Faculty of Education, Turkish Language Teaching Program, his master's degree at Uşak University, Institute of Social Sciences, Turkish Education, and his doctorate at Gazi University, Institute of Educational Sciences, Turkish Education. He worked as a teacher and administrator in institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education between 2006-2016. He worked as a Turkish instructor at Tunis University, 9 Nisan Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences between 2016-2021. He has been working as an assistant professor in the Turkish Education Department of Bayburt University, Faculty of Education, Turkish and Social Sciences Education in 2021, and as an associate professor in 2025.

Ali Karakas is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Turkey. His research primarily focuses on EMI, Global Englishes and language teacher education. His work has been published in journals including Asian Englishes, Linguistics and Education, System, RELC Journal and Ibérica. He has co-edited two volumes: English as the Medium of Instruction in Turkish Higher Education: Policy, Practice and Progress (2022) and Teacher Professional Development Programs in EMI Settings: International Perspectives (2025).

Prof. Dr. Mustafa BAHŞİ completed his BA in Mathematics Education in 2001, his MA in 2004 and his PhD in 2010 in Mathematics (Algebra and Number Theory) at Selçuk University. He has been working as a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at the Faculty of Education at Aksaray University since 2011. He specializes in Algebra and Number Theory.

Dr. Menşure ALKIŞ KÜÇÜKAYDIN ​​completed her undergraduate education at Gazi University, her graduate education at Gaziosmanpaşa University, and her doctorate at Amasya University. Dr. ALKIŞ KÜÇÜKAYDIN ​​is a faculty member at Necmettin Erbakan University. Dr. ALKIŞ KÜÇÜKAYDIN's research interests include professional development of classroom teachers and teacher candidates, science and pseudoscience, science identity, science image, scientific reasoning, and use of technology in science education.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hülya ERTAŞ KILIÇ completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Physics Education at Hacettepe University. She is currently working as a faculty member at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education, Department of Mathematics and Science Education. She has studies on out-of-school learning, critical thinking, scientific process skills, problem solving skills and current issues in physics education.

He is currently working in the Department of Education of the Visually Impaired at Gazi University, Faculty of Education. He completed his BA, MA and PhD in the Department of Education of the Visually Impaired at Gazi University. Aslan, who started working as a research assistant at Atatürk University in 2011, has been working in the Department of Education of the Visually Impaired at Gazi University, Faculty of Education, Department of Special Education since 2013. He works in the fields of functional vision, assistive/supportive technology, writing/written expression and education of the visually impaired in the field of Education of the Visually Impaired.

After completing his undergraduate studies in Science Education at Middle East Technical University (METU), he finished the integrated doctoral program in the Department of Elementary Education at the same university. Between 2012 and 2013, he conducted research in the United States as a visiting scholar at the University of Missouri, where he continued working on his doctoral dissertation. Following four years of service as a research assistant in the Department of Elementary Education at METU, he worked as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education at Artvin Çoruh University from 2014 to 2020.

He received his associate professorship in 2020 and was awarded the title of full professor in 2025, continuing his academic career in the same department. His research interests include the analysis of PISA data, teacher education, teacher beliefs, the history of science education, and scientific literacy.

Zeynep Çetin Köroğlu has been working as an Associate Professor at the English Language Teaching Department of Aksaray University. She obtained her MA and PhD degrees from Gazi University, Türkiye. Her academic background mainly consists of English Language Teaching. She acts as a reviewer at various international academic journals. She is a technology enthusiast, established researcher and international conference presenter. Her areas of expertise include intercultural communication, language teachers’ education, ICT implementations in language pedagogy and language assessment. She has published numerous book chapters and articles related to her research interests.

The researcher was born in Ankara in 1986 and earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Hacettepe University. She completed her master's and doctoral degrees in Measurement and Evaluation in Education at the same institution. Her research interests include Computerized Adaptive Testing, Item Response Theory, Classical Test Theory, Generalizability Theory, Standard Setting, and multivariate statistics. She is currently affiliated with the Faculty of Education at Aksaray University.

Melek ATABAY completed her undergraduate education in 2013 at Ankara University, Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies Education. The researcher, who completed her master's degree at Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies Education, completed her doctorate at Trabzon University, Department of Computer and Instructional Technology. The author, who continues her work as a researcher and academic at Trabzon University, primarily focuses on instructional technologies, technology integration in education, distance education, design of online learning environments, learning analytics, and generative artificial intelligence.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülistan Yalçın graduated in 2010 from the Department of Special Education, Division of Education for the Visually Impaired at Gazi University. She completed her master's degree in the same division in 2015 and earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Special Education at Gazi University in 2020. Between 2013 and 2015, Yalçın worked as a research assistant in the Department of Special Education at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University. In 2016, she began her academic position in the Division of Education for the Visually Impaired within the Department of Special Education at Aksaray University. In 2023, she was awarded the title of Associate Professor in the field of education for the visually impaired. Her areas of research include visual impairment, listening and reading skills for students with visual impairments, the teaching of study skills to students with visual impairments, and the Expanded Core Curriculum.

He completed his doctorate at Gazi University, Department of Turkish Education.

I have been working as a lecturer at Aksaray University from 2009 to 2011, as an assistant professor from 2011 to 2017, as an Associate Professor (Assoc. Prof. Dr.) from 2017 to 2023, and as a Professor (Prof. Dr.) since 2023. I have authored several studies and papers published in various academic journals and books in both English and Turkish. My primary research interests include child and family studies, child drawings, child and environment, and social skills development. My work focuses on technology and education, alternative education methods, in-service training, and seminars for adults.

My academic expertise focuses on inclusive education within the context of social studies, with particular emphasis on citizenship education, the education of refugee and asylum-seeking students, and cultural integration processes. I have contributed to various national and international projects and published numerous journal articles and book chapters in these areas. My work critically examines pedagogical practices through a social justice lens, emphasizing educational equity, cultural diversity, and social participation. In addition, I have been conducting research on the use of digital tools and AI-supported teaching methods.

I hold a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology specializing in educational measurement and assessment from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Currently, I am a Visiting Faculty and instructor at the University of Alabama. My research interests revolve around Item Response Theory and Rasch model applications in educational and psychological assessment data.

Skills and expertise:

• Educational Measurement
• Computerized Adaptive Testing
• Item Response Theory
• Psychometrics
  
  

He was born in 1990 in Osmaniye. He completed his high school education in 2008 at Osmaniye Abdurrahman Keskiner Anatolian Fine Arts High School. In 2012, he graduated from Gazi University, Faculty of Education, Department of Fine Arts Education, Division of Art Teaching. He completed his master's degree in 2016 at Gazi University, Institute of Educational Sciences, in the Art Teaching program. In 2020, he earned his Ph.D. from Gazi University, Institute of Educational Sciences, Department of Fine Arts Education, Division of Art Teaching. Between 2015 and 2016, he worked as a Research Assistant at Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Education, Department of Fine Arts Education, Division of Art Teaching. From 2016 to 2021, he served as a Research Assistant; and between 2022 and 2023, as an Assistant Professor at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education, Department of Fine Arts Education, Division of Art Teaching. Yılmaz is currently working as an Associate Professor at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education, Department of Fine Arts Education, Division of Art Teaching. He has received five artistic awards and has artworks featured in various public and private collections.

Vurgun was born in Simav district of Kütahya province in 1987. He completed his education at Osmanbey Primary School and Simav Cumhuriyet High School. He graduated from Selçuk University, Department of History Teaching in 2010. In 2014, he received his master's degree with his thesis titled "The Understanding and Teaching of National History in Turkey", and in 2018 he completed his doctorate with the thesis titled "Educational Activities in Bursa during the Abdülhamid II Era".In 2022, he received the title of Associate Professor in the field of History Education. Between 2012-2018, he worked as a Research Assistant at Marmara University Atatürk Education Faculty, History Teaching Department. He has been working as a faculty member in the same department since 2020. He teaches Introduction to History, Approaches to Learning and Teaching History, History of Education, Out-of-School Learning Environments in his undergraduate education. In graduate education, he teaches Turkish Education History and Local and Oral History Approaches in History Teaching. Continuing his studies in the fields of History Education, Turkish Education History and History of the Republic, Vurgun has various books, book chapters, articles and papers related to his fields of study. Ahmet Vurgun was elected as a Communication Member of Atatürk Research Center, Atatürk Culture, Language and History High Institution in 2022.

Dr. Barış Eriçok is a faculty member at Ordu University, Faculty of Education. He holds a BA in English Language Teaching, an MA in Educational Administration, and a PhD in Educational Administration, Supervision, Planning, and Economics from Hacettepe University. His doctoral research focused on the internationalization policies of higher education in Türkiye. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna (Pädagogische Hochschule Wien), Austria. His research interests include internationalization of higher education, educational leadership, international mobility, quality assurance, academic brain drain, and the implications of artificial intelligence for education. Dr. Eriçok actively contributes to national and international academic journals as an author and reviewer and is open to interdisciplinary research collaborations. Contact: barisericok[at]gmail.com

Dr. Mustafa ELMAS graduated from the Painting Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Hacettepe University in 2005. In 2010, he completed his master’s degree at the Institute of Educational Sciences, Painting Department of Gazi University. In the same year, he started working as a Research Assistant in the Department of Fine Arts Education at Sivas Cumhuriyet University.

Between 2014 and 2015, he continued his doctoral studies at Aix-Marseille University in France with the support of TÜBİTAK. In 2024, he completed his PhD at the Institute of Educational Sciences, Department of Painting, at Gazi University.

The artist has held two solo exhibitions at Gallery Artist in Ankara and Istanbul, and has participated in approximately forty national and international workshops, symposiums, juried and group exhibitions. His works are included in private and public institution collections. He has received seven awards from various competitions.

Dr. Özlem YURT TARAKÇI completed her undergraduate studies in 2005 at Gazi University, Faculty of Education, Department of Early Childhood Education. In the same year, she began her master’s studies in the Early Childhood Education Program at the Institute of Educational Sciences at Gazi University. She completed her master's degree in 2008 and earned her Ph.D. from the same program in 2013. Between 2006 and 2013, she worked as a research assistant in the Department of Child Development Education at the Faculty of Vocational Education, Gazi University. In 2014, she was appointed as a faculty member in the Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Fatih Education at Karadeniz Technical University, where she served until 2021. Since 2021, she has been working as a faculty member in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Istanbul Medeniyet University.

She has published various academic works in the fields of science education in early childhood, play, and teacher education.

Kamil YILDIRIM received his Ph.D. in educational sciences, majoring in educational administration. Yıldırım has experience in different educational settings as a teacher in schools, and an expert in MoNE Board of Education and the Department of International Institutions (OECD, World Bank). He has been working at Aksaray University since 2010. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıldırım currently serves as the head of the Department of Educational Administration. His research interests include educational quality, teacher education, professional well-being, and educational leadership. Some of his recent studies are as follows.

Yildirim, K., & Aslan, A. (2021). Examination of the quality teaching in Turkish higher education based on the external evaluation reports from multiple perspectives. Journal of Qualitative Research in Education, 25, 102-125, doi: 10.14689/enad.25
Yıldırım K (2021) Analysing the role of external policy interventions in explaining the trend of school educators’ intrinsic motivation. Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research 16(1): 306-327. https://doi.org/10.29329/epasr.2020.334.17
Yıldırım K and Yenipınar Ş (2021) Examining the role of contextual conditions and leadership status of school principals from multiple perspectives. International Journal of Research in Education and Science 7(1): 207-226.

She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in the Department of Music Education at İnönü University. In 2005, she became a research assistant in the same department. With a scholarship from the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), she conducted postdoctoral research at Tennessee State University in United States. During this period, she promoted Polyphonic Turkish Music by giving presentations and concerts. She was selected as an “alto” from Turkey for the choir of Joseph Haydn’s grand oratorio Die Schöpfung and performed as a chorister in a concert accompanied by the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra in Ohio. She actively participated as a conductor in masterclasses led by many choir conductors, including Grammy Award-winning conductor John Nelson. She performed the Turkish premieres of numerous works in the field of popular choral music. In 2013, she was appointed as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Education, Aksaray University, and received the title of associate professor in 2022. Her areas of expertise include general music education, choir education, voice training, piano education, and music culture.

M. Emir Rüzgar is an associate professor working at Aksaray University’s (Türkiye) Faculty of Education where he specializes in curriculum theory and utilization of cinema films in educational milieus. He holds a PhD degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the field of Curriculum and Instruction. 

Ece KOÇER graduated from Middle East Technical University, Department of Elementary Science Education in 2009. In the same year, she started her integrated doctoral program at Middle East Technical University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
and started working as a Research Assistant at Ankara University, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. KOÇER, who was also at the University of Vienna within the scope of Erasmus Exchange Program during her doctoral process, wrote her doctoral thesis on international education programs. Currently working at Ankara University, Dr. Koçer continues her studies in the fields of comparative education, international education, science education, curriculum and instruction.

Aysel Eyerci is an English Instructor at the School of Foreign Languages at Atatürk University where she has been an academic member since 2008. She taught various courses such as General English, Business English, Diplomatic English, ESP, and Applied Linguistics. Dr. Eyerci received her PhD from the department of English Language and Literature at Atatürk University. Her research interests lie in the area of English Language Teaching, TESOL, Educational Research, ESL Writing, Academic Writing. She took part as a member of the organizing committee and interpreter at some International Conferences. She has published and submitted papers on ELT. 

Emel KULAKSIZ received her undergraduate degree in English Language Teaching from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, where she also completed her MA in English Language Teaching. She earned her PhD in English Language Teaching from Hacettepe University. Throughout her academic career, she has taught various English language teaching courses at several universities, including Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Gazi University, and İzmir Democracy University. She has conducted a number of studies in the field of foreign language education and is currently serving at the Department of Foreign Languages at the National Defence University.

Currently, I work at Galatasaray University in the Department of French Language and Literature. I got my MA degree in Ankara University. I had my PhD in the Department of French Language and Literature at Ankara University in October 2019, with a thesis entitled as "The Notion of Memory in the Roman Noirs of Didier Daeninckx" My research interests are, Contemporary French Literature, Visual Cultures and Cultural Studies, Reprensentations of War, Identity, Travel Literature and Migration.

She is an experienced teacher holding a Ph.D. in English Language Education. In 2016, she participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States with a project titled "English Language Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools." Additionally, she was a Fulbright TEA grantee at Georgia State University from January 24 to March 14, 2024.

She contributed as a content development team member for English lessons currently published on the Turkish Ministry of National Education's EBA platforms and also appeared as an on-screen presenter on TRT EBA TV. She served as a project expert and foreign language educator in the “Stream it Up!” project.

She has played active roles as a trainer and provincial coordinator in projects such as English Together and YADEG, which focus on the professional development of English teachers working in public schools. Her publications span various areas including teacher competencies, professional development, and critical discourse analysis.

Dilek Atıcı completed her undergraduate education at Kırıkkale University Guidance and Psychological Counseling program. She received her master's degree with thesis from Hacettepe University Guidance and Psychological Counseling program and her non-thesis master's degree from Ankara Social Sciences University Clinical Psychology program. She is currently working at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Division of Guidance and Psychological Counseling.

I earned MY Bachelor’s degree in English Language Teaching from the Faculty of Education at Gazi University and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the Department of Philosophical, Social, and Historical Foundations of Education at the Institute of Educational Sciences, Ankara University. His research interests encompass political philosophy and education as well as modern European thought.

She completed her undergraduate education in 2009 at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Mathematics Education. In 2013, she completed her master's thesis in Elementary Mathematics Education at Middle East Technical University (METU), and in 2019, she completed her doctoral thesis, also at Middle East Technical University. She worked as a research assistant at Middle East Technical University between 2010 and 2019. Since 2019, she has been working at Aksaray University. She conducted her postdoctoral studies at Temple University. Her research focuses on visual arts and mathematics education, and informal mathematics education.

Hatice Vargelen Akcin completed her undergraduate studies in the Department of Turkish Language Education at Istanbul University in 2011. She received both her master’s and doctoral degrees from Gazi University in the same field. Currently, she works as a researcher and academic at Aksaray University. Her primary areas of interest include teaching Turkish as a foreign language, interculturality, teaching Turkish to Turkic communities, language attitude, and the relationship between language and identity.

Hilmi KARACA completed his master's and doctoral education at Necmettin Erbakan University. He works at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education, Department of Mathematics Education. His primary areas of interest include educational and instructional technologies in mathematics education, the use of eye-tracking technologies in education, and the application of artificial intelligence tools in mathematics education.

Ayça ARI, lisans ve yüksek lisans eğitimini Erciyes Üniversitesi Sınıf Eğitimi programında tamamlamıştır. Aksaray Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Sınıf Öğretmenliği Ana Bilim Dalında görev yapmaktadır. Gazi Üniversitesi Sınıf Eğitimi Bilim Dalı doktora programında öğrenimine devam etmektedir. Başlıca ilgi alanları; İlk okuma yazma ve Türkçe öğretimi, dijital okuryazarlık ve yeni okuryazarlık becerileri, okuma- yazma motivasyonudur.

Dilek Atıcı completed her undergraduate education at Kırıkkale University Guidance and Psychological Counseling program. She received her master's degree with thesis from Hacettepe University Guidance and Psychological Counseling program and her non-thesis master's degree from Ankara Social Sciences University Clinical Psychology program. She is currently working at Aksaray University, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Division of Guidance and Psychological Counseling.