This study addresses the process of designing technology-based materials with design-based research (DBR) in teaching Turkish to foreigners. In DBR, researchers aim to design innovative content to solve learning problems or make improvements in an educational context. For this purpose, a research team is established and holds regular meetings in cooperation with all stakeholders including practitioners and experts. The educational context in which the targeted intervention will be implemented is observed in advance and information is collected to make a thick description of it. Then, the intervention is conducted in the relevant context. DBR interventions are carried out iteratively, which means necessary improvements are made with the data obtained during and after the intervention. To introduce this relatively new methodology to the field of teaching Turkish to foreigners, this article first reviews common methods and technology-based studies in teaching Turkish to foreigners; and then, DBR is presented and proposed as an innovative and alternative method for conducting design studies in the field. Furthermore, prominent DBR models are summarized. Then, the model of this study is explained with reference to the phases and design examples. Based on the model, researchers first formed a research partnership. The team chose argumentation as a problematic learning subject through regular meetings, literature review and observations. The intervention was conducted in three weeks with a group of 19 foreign students learning Turkish at the B2 level at TÖMER, Gazi University, during the Fall term of the 2024/2025 academic year. Prior to the intervention, a pre-test was applied to understand the current level of the group in argumentation. When compared to the pre-test performance, it was observed that the participants showed progress in recognizing and producing arguments, completing the missing parts in an argument, using modality to argue and the use of conjunctions in interactive exercises and their final assignments.
Argumentation, design-based research, formative experiments, multimedia learning, teaching Turkish to foreigners