Journal of Higher Education and Science

105-112

Authors: Süleyman Hayri BOLAY

This article focuses on which issues should stand out in a contemporary university. For this purpose, the meaning of the word and concept university is pointed out; the function, aim and objective of the university are specified and the question of how this function will be realized is answered. In addition, issues including how universities influence community life, the main features of a contemporary university, the obstacles standing against the realization of contemporary university as well as how to overcome these obstacles and the characteristic the logic of university are addressed. How university’s interest in the culture of the society where it originates will to contribute to the development of science and technology of the country as well as the world is emphasized. In addition, the importance of scientific mentality, rationality, and collaborative working in university is emphasized and the importance of native language is indicated. It is recommended for students to increase their knowledge and level of thinking, to acquire the methods of research and thinking, and to adopt critical thinking. The issue that students should save themselves from being torn between information provided by certain fields of science and canalize to trans-science mental unity is particularly emphasized. Finally, the way for one or several universities in our country to gain the identity of a national university and thus being a symbol of our understanding of education and higher education is specified.

122-127

Authors: M. Kemal BİÇERLİ

Higher education system has vital importance to train qualified workforce that a country needs. Although holding young population turns out to be an advantage in a well structured education system, overgrowth of young population may cause threat. Higher education system in Turkey has significant problems in terms of efficient use of limited resources. Due to the failure in educational planning, number of graduates exceeds labor market demands in some fields, whereas over capacity problem occurs in some faculties. In this respect engineering and health sciences and also vocational higher education fields are particularly problematic. The other deficiency in Turkish higher education system is that; graduates lack basic acquirements and skill that labor market needs. There is no doubt that higher education is not existent only to train workforce for labor market. However, discrepancy in educational structure and realities of labor market means inefficient use of resources. In this respect, education system in Turkey need to be revised. An education system, more sensitive to labor market demands contributes to increase individual prosperity at micro level and it will also contribute to international competition and development of our country at macro level.

134-141

Authors: Filiz GÖLPEK

In most countries, the fact that higher education expenses are covered by public resources decrease the private costs due to the reasons such as equal opportunity, imperfect market, external factors, protection of minors, search for common values, the effects of education on economic growth and semi-public property of higher education. The fact that higher education expenditures are covered by public resources and the fact that investments on education provide important benefits for both public and individuals increase the demand of higher education. These benefits are among the most important factors that influence the investment decision of individuals. The decision of investment depends on the possible income in the future, the cost of investment, and the current interest rates. Higher education with investment purposes is influenced by these three mutual factors. The purpose of this paper is to calculate the rates of returns and prices for the faculties of medicine in Turkey. The data for both social and private benefits and costs was obtained using the cost-benefit analysis method. By means of the data obtained, both private and social return rates were calculated using the internal return rate technique. The price of higher education was obtained through the private return rate and current interest rate. In the conclusion section, it was pointed out that the private return rates at higher education level are significantly higher than the social return rates causing decreased price and increased individual demand.

152-155

Authors: Şule ERGÖL

Nursing emerged with the request of developing and maintaining public health and provide care when they are ill. In our country, firstly, Besim Omer Pasha invited daughters of prominent families in Istanbul to “Voluntary Nursing Course”. The first Nursing School was established under the auspices of Red Crescent Society in 1925. The Ministry of Health begun to establish Vocational Schools of Health in 1960. The beginning of nursing education in higher education was not a result of necessity, rather an influence of international organizations. The first nursing education in Higher Education began at the University of the Aegean in 1955. By 2011, “Nursing Undergraduate Programs” have taken place in a total of 96 units including School of Nursing (8), School of Health (63), School of Health Sciences (3), Nursing Department in Faculty of Health Sciences (21), and Faculty of Nursing (1). Undergraduate programs in nursing cover at least a four-year period and include 4600 hours of theoretical and practical education. Master’s degree and PhD programs in nursing began, respectively, in 1968 and in 1972 at the University of Hacettepe. Master’s degree programs have thesis and non-thesis programs. Master’s degree programs with thesis should be completed within four semesters. Time to complete non-thesis programs is six semesters at most. The majority of Master’s degree programs in nursing have thesis programs. PhD programs for students with Master’s degree consist of at least seven courses (not less than 21 credits), a qualifying examination, thesis proposal and thesis. Nursing education in Higher Education in our country has made considerable progress since 1955. Turkey is one of the five European countries providing basic nursing education at university level. This article discusses the historic development and current status of nursing education in Higher Education in Turkey.

161-169

Authors: Ferudun SEZGİN, Hasan KAVGACI, Ali Çağatay KILINÇ

This study aimed to examine the self evaluations of educational administration and supervision graduate students about their own qualifications in the context of National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Turkey (NQF-HETR) in a descriptive way. In this respect, this study was designed as a qualitative research. Participants consisted of 15 master and 6 doctoral students who had completed the courses at educational administration and supervision graduate program. To collect the data, a semi-structured interview form developed by researchers was used. The results demonstrated that graduate students had problems especially with associating theory and practice, using research methods and techniques, designing interdisciplinary studies and studies capable of providing solutions for country problems, sharing knowledge in national and international platforms, and using foreign language. In addition, it was determined that participants had great expectations from course advisor faculty members in terms of overcoming the deficiencies expressed in the study. In the light of the results, some suggestions have been made in order to make graduate programs more capable of providing necessary knowledge, skills and competence expressed in NQF-HETR.