The use of stakeholder voice through school self-evaluation in Turkish schools

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability - School self-evaluation based on multiple data sources has been used to evaluate the quality of education at schools. This study aims to...     

The performance status of higher educational institutions: A transfer of knowledge perspective

Education and Information Technologies - The study is the empirical application of Gul and Jamal's (2021) Transfer of Knowledge Index. The study presents the ranking of 17 public sector HEI by...     

Metaconceptually-enhanced simulation-based inquiry: effects on eighth grade students’ conceptual change and science epistemic beliefs

This study investigated the effects of metaconceptually-enhanced, simulation-based inquiry learning on eighth grade students’ conceptual change in science and their development of science epistemic beliefs. Two experimental groups studied the topics of motion and force using the same computer simulations but with different simulation guides: one enhanced with metaconceptual scaffolding, while the other was not. The findings led to the following conclusions: (a) metaconceptual scaffolding enhanced simulation-based learning by significantly reducing science misconceptions, but it was not as effective in changing students’ mental models which consisted of multiple interrelated key concepts; (b) students’ beliefs about the speed of learning and the construction of knowledge were strong predictors of conceptual change learning outcomes; (c) epistemologically more mature students did not benefit more from metaconceptual interventions than those with less mature beliefs; (d) further interventions are needed to promote the development of students’ science epistemic beliefs in inquiry learning.     

Universality Without Uniformity: A Culturally Inclusive Approach to Sensitive Responsiveness in Infant Caregiving

Do caregivers in non‐Western communities adapt their behaviors to the needs of infants? This question reflects one of the most long‐standing debates on the universality versus culture‐specificity of caregiver–infant interactions in general and sensitive responsiveness to infants in particular. In this article, an integration of both points of view is presented, based on the theoretical origins of the sensitive responsiveness construct combined with the ethnographic literature on caregivers and infants in different parts of the world. This integration advocates universality without uniformity, and calls for multidisciplinary collaborations to investigate the complexities and nuances of caregiver–infant interactions in different cultures. Salient issues are illustrated with observations of infants (ages 7–31 months) in Mali, the Republic of Congo, and the Philippines.     

Sexual abuse among female high school students in Istanbul, Turkey

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of sexual abuse in female adolescents in Istanbul, Turkey from data collected as part of a school-based population study on health and health behaviors. METHOD: A stratified cluster sampling procedure was used for this cross-sectional study. The study sample included 1,955 randomly selected 9th through 11th grade female students attending 26 randomly-selected high schools in Istanbul. A self-report questionnaire was administered anonymously in the classroom. Information on sexual abuse history was collected through the questions investigating "touching" and "intercourse." RESULTS: Of 1,955 female students, 1,871 (95.7%) provided answers to the questions addressing unwanted sexual experience. Of these, 250 (13.4%) reported sexually abusive experiences. Two hundred and thirteen (11.3%) students reported that someone touched their private parts in a way they did not like; 91 (4.9%) reported they were forced to have sexual intercourse; 54 (3.0%) reported both types of sexual abuse. Incest was reported by 1.8% of the subjects. Ninety-three percent of the perpetrators were reported to be male. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported school-based study to determine the prevalence of sexual abuse in Turkey. The results show that at least 13.4% of female high school students disclosed having experienced sexual abuse during childhood.     

Linguistic awareness and dyslexia beliefs among teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired

Reading and Writing - US students who are blind or have visual impairments do not read at the level of a third-grader with typical sight until, on average, halfway through the seventh grade. As a...     

Correction to: The performance status of higher educational institutions: A transfer of knowledge perspective

Education and Information Technologies -     

Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads

The aim of this study was to compare the musculature activity and kinematics of knee and hip joints during front and back squat with maximal loading. Two-dimensional kinematical data were collected and electromyographic activities of vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus and erector spinae were measured while participants (n = 12, 21.2 ± 1.9 years old) were completing front and back squat exercises with maximum loading. Paired sample t-test was used for comparisons between two techniques. Results showed that the electromyographic activity of vastus medialis was found to be greater in the front squat compared to the back squat during the ascending phase (P < 0.05, d = 0.62; 95% CI, ?15.0/?4.17) and the whole manoeuvre (P < 0.05, d = 0.41; 95% CI, ?12.8/?0.43), while semitendinosus (P < 0.05, d = ?0.79; 95% CI, 0.62/20.59) electromyographic activity was greater in the back squat during the ascending phase. Compared to the front squat version, back squat exhibited significantly greater trunk lean, with no differences occurring in the knee joint kinematics throughout the movement. Results may suggest that the front squat may be preferred to the back squat for knee extensor development and for preventing possible lumbar injuries during maximum loading.     

Development and evaluation of a case‐based digital learning tool about children's mathematical thinking for elementary school teachers (L‐TEST)

It is important for teachers of mathematics to know how pupils react to certain mathematical situations and what these reactions imply, in order to design more effective instructional environments based on their learning needs. This study reports the development processes of a digital learning tool (Learning Tool for Elementary School Teachers (L‐TEST)) that shows children's mathematical thinking for the ages of 4–11 years across certain problem situations. L‐TEST is designed as a support tool to be used in teacher education. A case‐based instructional model was used in designing the instructional tool. Video recordings were digitised to provide a rich environment where learners observe exemplary cases. These exemplified videos included children's mathematical development in the subjects of numbers and shapes, combined with discussions in line with the current research findings. Finally, a usability test for the learning tool was carried out.     

Validation study of a method for assessing complex ill-structured problem solving by using causal representations

The important but little understood problem that motivated this study was the lack of research on valid assessment methods to determine progress in higher-order learning in situations involving complex and ill-structured problems. Without a valid assessment method, little progress can occur in instructional design research with regard to designing effective learning environments to facilitate acquisition of expertise in complex, ill-structured knowledge domains. In this paper, we first present a method based on causal representations for assessing progress of learning in complex, ill-structured problem solving and discuss its theoretical framework. Then, we present an experimental study investigating its validity against adapted protocol analysis. This study explored the impact of a massively multiplayer online educational game, which was designed to support an interdisciplinary STEM education on ninth-grade students’ complex, ill-structured problem solving skill acquisition. We identify conceptual similarities and differences between the two methods, present our comparative study and its results, and then discuss implications for diagnostics and applications. We conclude by determining how the two approaches could be used in conjunction for further research on complex and ill-structured problem solving.