The effect of material usage on academic achievement in teaching Turkish as a foreign language: a meta-analysis study

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to examine the effect of material usage on academic achievement in the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language. The study was conducted using the meta-analysis method in line with this objective. The meta-analysis method is a quantitative paradigm-based approach that brings together independent studies for a specific purpose, analyzes their numerical data, and reaches a conclusion. The study includes 33 meta-analysis-eligible studies conducted between 2015 and 2024, both domestically and internationally, on the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language. The National Thesis Center, Google Scholar, Ulakbim Keşif, YÖK Akademik, and Web of Science search tools were used in the data collection phase. Reliability and validity analyses were performed, and no publication bias was found. Subgroups were created in the study regarding the year of publication, type of publication, type of school, four basic language skills, and types of materials, and moderator/subgroup analyses were performed. Microsoft Excel and Comprehensive Meta Analysis (CMA) Version 4.0.0 software were used for data analysis. The research concluded that material use has a positive effect on academic achievement at a “very large (d=1.126)” level. Moderator analyses revealed that the effect values were large for all subgroups, and no significant differences were observed between them. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that in Turkish language teaching as a foreign language, all types of materials have a positive effect on academic achievement at every level and for every skill type.