Educational Process: International Journal

97-105

Authors: Yasin Demir, Mustafa Kutlu

The aim of this study is to examine the mediation role of internet addiction in the relationship between loneliness and depression. 452 university students (241 women, 211 men) ranging in age from 17 to 31 and who are receiving education in different faculties at Firat University in Turkey participated in the study. UCLA Loneliness Scale, Young Internet Addiction Test Short Form, and Indication Scanning List was applied to the participants. The data were analyzed with correlation, regression, hierarchical regression analysis, and Sobel Z test. According to correlation analysis, there are relations in a positive way among loneliness, depression, and internet addiction. In reference to regression analysis, loneliness predicts internet addiction and depression. However, internet addiction also predicts depression as well. As a result of hierarchical regression analysis to determine the mediation role of internet addiction, it was monitored that internet addiction has partial mediation in the relation between loneliness and depression. In addition to that, it was confirmed that this mediation predicts at a significant level with Sobel Z Test. The findings of the study demonstrate a partial mediation role of internet addiction in the relation between loneliness and depression. According to this result, it can be stated that loneliness and internet addiction are risk factors for depression. In terms of studies on depression, the results of this study can be taken into consideration.

116-127

Authors: Adnan Ozbey, Hakan Saricam

The principal objective of this study is to examine the relationship between human values and compassionate love of highly gifted students, and to make a comparison of the levels of compassionate love and human values between highly gifted students and their normal peers. One of the quantitative models, associative patterns, were implemented in this research. These are the models used for the determining of levels and the existence of change between two or more variables. With ease of accessibility, 8th grade normal students (N=200) from Balıkesir and Manisa (Turkey) and highly gifted students (N=200) of BILSEM were selected to gather data. 102 of the normal students were female, while 98 were male. 108 of the highly gifted students were female and 92 of them male. In this research, the Human Values Scale and Compassionate Love Scale were applied in order to determine levels of human values and compassionate love of the students. In conclusion, the highly gifted students were observed to have higher levels of human values than their normal peers, and to be more sensitive regarding love.

139-151

Authors: Hilal Bilgin, Necdet Aykac

The aim of this study is to evaluate the teaching and learning conceptions of pre-service teachers and their attitudes towards teaching profession in terms of some variables. The study was designed as a relational survey model. The sample of the study consists of 406 first grade and senior university students, namely pre-service teachers, studying in Turkey. Criterion sampling method was applied in order to select the participants. Data of the study was collected through the “Teaching-Learning Conceptions Scale” and “Attitudes towards Teaching Profession Scale”. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and correlation analyses were used to analyze the data. In order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and correlation analyses were used. According to the results obtained from this study, pre-service teachers’ constructivist teaching and learning conception are higher than their scores of traditional conception. Moreover, pre-service teachers’ teaching and learning conceptions do not differ significantly in terms of gender and grade variables, whereas they differ significantly according to their departments. In addition, pre-service teachers’ levels of professional attitude can be regarded as positive and their attitudes towards teaching profession differ significantly in terms of gender, grade and department variables. Lastly, it was concluded that there was a positive correlation between pre-service teachers’ constructivist teaching, learning conceptions, and their attitudes towards teaching profession while a negative relationship was observed between their traditional conceptions and professional attitudes.

7-21

Authors: Cem Gencoglu, Nursel Topkaya, Ertugrul Sahin, Leyla Kaya

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between attachment styles and stigma in adults. Participants were 361 adults (186 females and 175 males) aged between 18 and 69 (M=31.77, SD=9.45). Participants completed the measurement instruments for determining their stigmatizing tendencies and attachment styles. Study results showed that, stigma tendencies of people with the secure attachment style are lower for the discrimination and exclusion, prejudgment and psychological health dimensions, and are higher for people with the fearful attachment style for the discrimination and exclusion, labeling and psychological health dimensions. Preoccupied and dismissive attachment styles are also positively associated with prejudgment tendency. Finally, stigma tendencies of males are more likely to be higher than females for the discrimination and exclusion, labeling and psychological health dimensions. Because different attachment styles are related variously to the subscales of stigma in this study, interventions to decrease stigma of individuals can verge to enhancing the quality of mother-child interactions

38-53

Authors: Hamit Ozen

Experiencing social phobia is an important factor which can hinder academic success during university years. In this study; research of social phobia with several variables is conducted among university students. The research group of the study consists of total 736 students studying at various departments at universities in Turkey. Students are divided into two groups, as low and high level positive evaluation fear (PEF) as measured by the Positive Evaluation Fear Scale (PEFS). In respect to Odds rates, the most crucial factor about PEF of students is the time spent daily on the internet. Students who spend their time on the internet have PEF 2.4 times more than those who do not. As a secondary important factor according to negative evaluation fear scale (NEFS), students consider the home city where they lived before attending university increases phobia 30% more than the rate of people who think otherwise. Thus, results showed that spending long hours on the internet and home city lived in before university are significant factors resulting in social phobia.

65-75

Authors: Halis Sakiz

The aim of this paper is to delve into the debate about the epistemological nature of ability and examination, which we have been continuously exposed to, but rarely scrutinized. In the paper, I refer to Turkey as a case and argue that the dominance of ability-based paradigm and its associated assessment and placement systems have created a new educational order which categorizes schools and students based on how they perform at a single point in time. What is more, I critically evaluate the construction of “abilities” and “disabilities” through the means employed in the education system, followed by a discussion of the examination culture as a product of an ability-based system. Finally, I propose inclusive education as a powerful means of transforming the education system to an equitable and educationally effective one in which all students are welcomed and provided with education of good quality that both enriches childhood and maximizes chances of leading a fulfilled adult life.