Journal of Higher Education and Science

85-96

Authors: Durmuş GÜNAY, Aslı GÜNAY, Eda ATATEKİN

In this study, primarily, quantitative developments in the departments of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and molecular biology and genetics in Turkey since 2007 were tried to be presented. In parallel with this purpose, occupancy rates,number of programs, number of students and academic staff for each program were calculated and the changes of these indicators were displayed. In this way, we reached the conclusion that these four indicators have shown the parallel changes with each other in all departments. According to this result, we tried to define and explain the reasons of these changes in the departments of biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and molecular biology and genetics in recent years. Besides, it has been emphasized that Turkey should develop new policies to increase the employment for the graduates of these departments in addition to the quantitative measures.

108-116

Authors: Didem DOĞAN

Many new universities have recently been founded due to economic, social and cultural reasons in our country. These universities face various problems stemming from whether their locations or their organizational structures. Revealing problems experienced within these newly-founded universities and developing possible solutions for these problems are important in in order to increase the service quality provided by higher education which is one of the most important institutions that generate qualified human power. In this study, the problems of the universities founded after 2006 have been put forth with both administrative and academic staffs’ view points and solution offers have been developed towards these problems with a common point of view. In this study in which quantitative and qualitative research methods used, is used Scale of Academicians’ Problems was applied to 150 academics as the data gathering device. In order to profoundly examine the data acquired by the scale, two administrative personnel were interviewed and a focus-group interview was performed with eight academics. According to the study data, the most important problem of newly-founded universities is the lack of institutionalization. Physical inadequacy and lack of qualified personnel follow this problem. Efficient management and forming an efficient organization structure are among suggested solution offers.

128-132

Authors: Ayşegül YILDIRIM KAPTANOĞLU

Since 2003 new healthcare reforms have been implemented in Turkey. Although, the healthcare system has gone through modifications for the past several years; there is insufficient research to demonstrate the effects of these changes. This paper aims to address the issues in the supplementary payment systems, which are one of the recent changes of the healthcare system in the country. This study is mainly based on a review of the relevant professional literature, a research and interpretation of supplementary payment in the public hospitals. This is a research as well as an assessment work done in secondary and tertiary care hospitals. Performance based supplementary payment system in public hospitals aims to provide bonuses to health care employees like physicians, nurses, etc. The bonus is given to professionals, who produce the qualified health services based on records by the evaluation of the whole institution. Financing of supplementary payment system in Turkey is mainly based on social security premiums. Consequently, balance of income and expenditures at hospitals is needed to be followed sensitively. According to this study, physicians’ productivity has increased but number of patients per physician has decreased. Also, the amount of performance paid to the physician for their specialty has decreased. Physicians like cardiologists can benefit more from the pay for performance system as their work contributions are paid more compared to internist work. Also secondary care hospital staffs were better paid compared to tertiary care hospitals because more critical cases are sent to tertiary care and treatment of such cases are of high cost. The reforms resulted satisfactory and very successful improvement in healthcare performance. The main health indicators are now better than at the beginning of the transition period. The sustainability of the reform processes will cause further improvement in the near future. The number of treatments per patient is increased not the number of patient and this may cause an escalated demand. Some precaution such as to control referral of a patient to a tertiary care when the care is possible in the secondary care units is needed to be taken. Complicated or critical patients mean great cost to hospital’s revolving funds which means less money to the health staff via pay for performance system in secondary and especially tertiary care.

142-152

Authors: Melike ÖZER KESKİN, Nilay KESKİN SAMANCI, İsmet KURT

This research is planned for determining teacher candidates’ opinions about some bioethics issues which include ethical dilemmas. In this research in which quantitative research techniques was used, a study group consisted of 238 teacher candidates from eight different departments at Gazi University in 2011-2012 academic year. Bioethical Values Inventory including scenarios located in the center of ethical issues, such as genetic screening tests, reproductive technologies and euthanasia used as an assessment instrument. Preferences of teacher candidates on scenarios are examined by using research variables such as the gender and studied department. In addition ethical approaches when making their decisions on ethical problems were analyzed. It was observed that the teacher candidates changed the ethical approaches while making decision for each scenario were varied. The teachers’ overall judgments and ethical approach preferences for each scenario did not differentiate according to the department and gender. Only gender-related differences were identified in the genetic screening test scenario.

161-165

Authors: Duygu GÜLEÇ, Aynur SARUHAN

This research was carried out as a descriptive study in order to determine the anxiety levels of third and last year students of Ege University School of Nursing while preparing their thesis and the factors affecting this. The research was performed with 142 students from third and last year students studying at Ege University School of Nursing. Data was collected using a questionnaire prepared by the researchers and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. It was determined that, 52,1% of the students were above the age of 23 years, 53,5% were last year students, 44,4% stayed in dormitory, 61,3% indicated that they experienced anxiety problems while determining the subject of thesis, and 38,7% got sufficient assistance from their supervisor. State anxiety average was 49,11± 12,23 and Trait anxiety average was 45,14± 7,8. Age groups, year of their study, staying with parents or receiving help from the supervisor were determined not to be effective in anxiety levels. Guiding and supporting attitudes of the teaching staff were thought to be helpful in increasing self-confidence of young people by reducing anxiety.

173-178

Authors: Erdal ARLI

Students who are entitled to get into a university in our country usually live with their families. However, when a student gets into a university which is far away or when it is difficult to go and return, one of the problems which their family has to solve is housing. Housing place alternatives might be government owned hostel, private hostel or houses for rent. The young student who has lived with their family until that age may find themselves in a different environment. This life might make the young people gain socialization, sense of responsibility and sharing, being able to manage their lives in the community - and it might also make them gain qualifications like being able to make discrimination between good and bad. The basic objective of this research is to identify the effects of housing place on individual and social development. The research has been applied to the students of Kocaeli University, Karamürsel Vocational High School . For the research, five focus group discussions have been carried out, each of which is formed of 8 participants and one assistant. In the study which was carried out based on question and answer, 3 general to special questions were directed . Group members have been formed of students who stay in house and hostel also students who stay with their own family. Maximum diversity sampling has been executed. According to the results, it appears that most essential contributions of staying in a hostel are mainly information sharing, growing mature, learning about recognizing human beings, being able to make discrimination between good and bad, learning about trusting, learning about making more moderate spending, and being able to make decisions freely. Besides, participants stated that any type of environment was available for studying both in governmental hostel and in housing environment, and studying in groups increases their successes.

1-9

Authors: Necati AĞIRALİOĞLU

The postgraduate education level which includes master’s degree and PhD is the superior part of higher education in the world. Therefore, master and particularly PhD studies are of special significance for any higher education institution or country. In this study, postgraduate programs in Turkey are generally evaluated with subjects, dissertations and academic studies. The postgraduate program structure of Turkey is also compared with those of Europe and the USA. In order to improve the quality of the postgraduate programs –PhD programs in particular- and higher education in Turkey, some practical measures are suggested.

16-26

Authors: Mustafa GÜNDÜZ

The history of modern higher education in Turkey started in the Tanzimat Period with Darülfünûn which had been an extraordinary development to achieve a radical modernization. Darülfünûn, which had come up to the Republic Period with its own unique structure and process of ambiguity, underwent a radical transformation in 1933. Since the beginning, the basic aim of Darülfünûn had been to educate “enlightened bureaucrats”. Up to now, many attempts have been made to determine and solve problems related to the areas of finance, legislation, physical conditions, manpower, infrastructure, students, and producing knowledge emerged in higher education. While some of them have been implemented, the suggestions especially coming from the dissenting academicians and thinkers have been reserved merely in memories. Many academicians, who wrote their memoirs after serving long years in universities, put forward different ideas related to the problems of university and their remedies. There have been numerous academicians who wrote their memoirs about university, as much as they affected Turkish science community with their works, views and ideas. In this paper; how the contemporary and traditional problems of the Turkish universities have been perceived, which determinations have been made, and what kind of solutions have been proposed in the memoirs of over twenty scientist, who had worked in different disciplines, have been categorically presented.

38-47

Authors: Mehmet BALCI, Yüksel ÇELİK, Hüseyin ELDEM, Ayşe ELDEM

European Union requires some standards in all areas. Today, the importance of training qualified individuals which holds an important place in the development of countries increases and certain standards are adopted creating common European Union tools in the field of vocational and technical education. In this study, vocational education and training policies system and the standards adopted by the European Union are discussed. Furthermore, this study was accepted as a European Union project in 2010 and the results obtained from the Leonardo Da Vinci Life Learning European Union project called “Web Based Basic Vocational Training” between the years 2010-2012 were presented. Since the partners of these projects are Turkey, Spain and Germany, the structure of vocational education, institutions of public and private vocational education and the diplomas and certificates entitled after these educations are included. As Turkey is on its way to become a European Union member, a number of advices are presented for Turkey to reach its destination about vocational education standards that European Union has aimed. The purpose of the study is not only to be a guide for the young who want to get professional training in the countries that are European Union members or candidates about how and where to have education opportunities but also to give a chance for trainers and training managers, participating in vocational training, so as to glimpse different practices from different countries and compare these practices between the countries of European Union and their countries. The study is also very important as it has the opportunities for training managers to see if their countries’ vocational education is close enough to vocational education in European Union.

57-64

Authors: Şebnem GÜZELBAYRAM

This research was carried on to reveal the organizational commitment levels and how these levels change with the factors such as age, sex, length of service, salary, having postgraduate education and additional work of the instructors working at foundation universities. Study group of the resarch consists of 118 instructors who volunteered to fill in the questionnaire after obtaining permission from the administratives of the foundation universities in Ankara, İstanbul and İzmir. To obtain the data, Literature search was initially conducted and similar studies were examined. ‘Organizational Commitment Questionnaire’ developed by Balay was used adaptating to this study. At the end of the study it was seen that the instructors were pleased to be present at their schools and they obeyed the rules stipulated by the administration because they believed in the necessity of them. Similarly, they were happy with the implementations and activities the management applies to make them more committed. However, if the instructors find a chance to work in a different organization, they will use the opportuniy without considering their experience. Instructors think that, beside their obligations they work with extra effort and devotion but although they are provided with the suitable educational environment, they still think that they are offered insufficent career development possibilities. Therefore, they believe that they always have the optimum performance at school and the structure of their school is not in the best possible way and they may feel indifferent to matters such as value, priorities and criticism against their institution. When all these judgments are taken into consideration, it can be said that instructors are concerned about the future and success of their institution and they think they endeavour more than they are expected. The organizational commitment levels of instructors do not differ meaningfully with age, length of service, salary, postgraduate education and additional work. However, organizational commitment levels of male instructors are meaningfully higher than those of females.

70-79

Authors: Emel BAHAR, Ferudun KAYA

Adaptation and internalization of innovations in science and technology, business processes and education system in an easy way depend on the attitudes of individuals. In the study, it is intended to determine whether there is a relationship between the arguments such as the subject, college, department, gender, computer usage, internet access facilities of the students’ enrolled in social programs of vocational high school and their attitudes towards information technology, or not. The data were obtained by applying questionnaires to 884 students studying in business administration, logistics, marketing, tourism, accounting, Office management and executive assistance programs at Çukurova, Mersin, Kırıkkale and Abant İzzet Baysal Universities. As a result of the research, statistically significant relationships were determined between the attitudes of the students of social sciences toward information technology and their subject, college, department and gender.

137-141

Authors: Muzaffer ELMAS

Th ere are lots of studies carried on education and training all over the world. U.S., Japan, Australia, East Asia and Europe continue this work in diff erent ways, but the main idea is the same. Here, the main idea is designing and sustaining educational systems based on learning outcomes, student centered approaches, system evaluation and quality cycles rather than inputs. Studies carried out in parallel with developments in the world are made under European Higher Education Area/Bologna Process. Th e aim here is to have graduates who are world citizens open to change. In recent years, in parallel with the changes in the world, especially based on Bologna Process reforms, comprehensive studies such as National Qualifications Framework, ECTS credits, student exchange programs and quality assurance systems are carried out in Turkey. Challenges, problems and bureaucracy make diff icult to sustain these important studies. Create a cycle in order to ensure the sustainability of the quality of this work is the most important step. A university management and evaluation scheme is consisting of corporate figures such as student, academic staff , physical infrastructure and financial parameters, and process qualities for student achievement, scientific research and community share, and their results shaped by managerial and behavioral capability of the system. Goals, objectives and performance in activities of individuals, departments and faculty of the universities are gett ing more important to identify and evaluate in certain periods. Th is challenging work having high bureaucracy strains university management and other stakeholders, and increases resistance to the quality processes. Establishing systems to ensure the sustainable quality gains importance as understanding and implementing the change in the world. Operating these quality processes with a systematic approach based on web technologies will result in reduced work load, increased transparency and accountability.

147-165

Authors: Necati AĞIRALİOĞLU

In order to determine the quality of universities some approaches such as international and national rankings have been used in recent years. University weighted rankings of entire universities are problematical. Th ey provide too litt le information. Rankings may be seriously questioned in terms of selection of indicators, methods, weighted factors, reliability and relevance. Th ere is a great deal information about higher education in Turkey. But the quality of information to all stakeholders does not merely depend on quality assured data sources and the reliability of the information. In this study, a proposed approach is suggested to determine the quality of a university in Turkey using some international ranking criteria to provide information to all potential target groups such as students, families and others. For this purpose an extensive questionnaire is prepared. Th is questionnaire could become both a source of ranking information and a basis of allocation of sources. Depending on this questionnaire, any university in Turkey can be classified in quality using this simple proposed approach.

176-185

Authors: Munise SEÇKİN, Çiğdem APAYDIN, Ahmet AYPAY

Th e purpose of this study is to investigate the norms in graduate education based on gender, education level, institution and departments. Th e study group of the present study is composed of 294 graduate students who are currently enrolled in graduate schools from 12 universities (Hacett epe University, Ankara University, Gazi University, Anadolu University, Akdeniz University, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Dumlupınar University, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Pamukkale University, Mersin University, Bülent Ecevit University [formerly Zonguldak Karaelmas University], and Atatürk University) in Turkey. Th e instrument entitled “Norms in Graduate Education” developed by Anderson & Louis (1994) was used. Cronbach’s alpha coeff icient for the LENÖ was 93. Construct validity of mentoring scale was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. Th is analysis was performed with LISREL, and it was found that the model with three primary domains and 10 sub-constructs fits. LENÖ had dimensions such structured feedback, formality, collaboration, group size, humane, solidarity, value congruence, technical, strategic and personal. Moreover, MANOVA, ANOVA, and corelation analysis were used this study. Th ese dimensions are parts of structure, climate and mentoring. Findings indicated that educational level and department had some infl uence on structure while the institution had an infl uence on climate. Further, significant relationships were found among the study variables.

193-200

Authors: Sezai KALAFAT

Th e eff ects of the personality traits on the teacher qualifications of the teachers working of the high schools were analysed in this study. Th is study was a local survey research at 2010-2011 of the summer semester. Th e sample of the study consisted of 428 teachers. Personality test based on adjectives, and perceptions of compedence scale were used as data collection tools. “Path analysis” method was done for data analysis by structural equation modelling procedure. Analysis revealed that the openness for the experience, one of the personality traits, was found to be the most infl uential predictor of the teacher qualifications, also self-development, one of the teacher qualifications, was found to be most infl uenced dimension from the personality traits.

205-206

Authors: Baki HAZER

Science Departments of Faculty of Art and Sciences are closing this year in many Turkish Universities because of shortage of registered students. Tutorial task of stuff s working for these departments will decrease in 4-5 years. Th e teachers in these Universities will be busy with lectures to other departments. Th e service lectures of the teachers and the graduate students can make the teachers busy for a while. New future solutions for encouragement of the undergraduate students are being discussed.

69-91

Authors: Metin TOPRAK, Armağan ERDOĞAN

European Union has started an education & training initiative under the umbrella of lifelong learning to achieve the 2020 Agenda targets. Th is initiative has nearly half of a century time horizon, and all designed policies and measures have been consolidated under this initiative. Turkish Education authorities have been monitoring this European eff ort closely and made important legal and institutional regulations in recent couple of years. Th is study examines the primary aspects of lifelong learning in detail: conceptual and philosophical background; recognition strategies; the place of formal, non-formal and informal learning in the lifelong learning approach; financing and measurement ways of lifelong learning; and variety of perspectives of international institutions. In addition, education and training strategy of the Europe’s 2020 vision of lifelong learning is also evaluated in detail. Th e human resources vision of the Europe considers education, occupation and economic activities together to allow authorities to plan the future of the European societies. Th e updating mechanisms of this approach are designed both domestically at national and internationally at European levels. It is concluded, in this study, that the lifelong learning policy and implementation of the Europe should be taken as benchmark.

100-105

Authors: Zafer ÇELİK

This study aims to examine the impact of Bologna Process on European higher education systems. It focuses on the influences of the main components of Bologna Process (i.e., implementing two-cycle system, increasing the student and academic staffs’ mobility, European Credit Transfer System, quality assurance and qualification framework) on the transformation of higher education systems. Although Bologna Process is perceived as a move to increase the quality of higher education system in Turkey, there are very serious criticisms from academics, students, and businessmen to the Bologna Process in various European countries. This study claims that the Process did not achieve its goals, more importantly the main instruments of the Process (qualifications, quality assurance agency etc.) brought about hyper-bureaucratization, hierarchization and standardization of European higher education systems.

114-118

Authors: İbrahiṁ Alper KÖSE

Factors that are very effective on students’ decisions in choosing higher education institutions should be examined in terms of increasing competition and selective probability, and quantitative developments between these institutions. The most important one among these factors is student loyalty. In this study, variables that have effects on student loyalty are tried to be discussed in the frame of conceptual models in order to guide to higher education administrators and academic staffs by expressing advantages of student loyalty with the literature. As a result of literature survey, it is found that the most important factors effective on student loyalty are the image of higher education institution, service quality and student commitment. In the literature, different conceptual models on the student loyalty and its variables have been established. The reason of this variation is that one model developed for an institution can be valid for an institution but not for others and other cultures. Higher education administrators should carefully examine factors effective on student loyalty, note the students’ loyalty to their institution periodically and study for increasing students’ loyalty to gain new students and prevent dropout behavior from the institution.

126-131

Authors: Durmuş ÖZDEMİR, Yüksel GÖKTAŞ

Qualified and productive labor shortage is one of the main problems in today’s business world. This situation shows the importance of vocational and technical education for business life and economy of the countries. Therefore, it is important to note that the vocational education programs should ensure the coherence between students’ existing knowledge and expectations of the business world. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of new education program (HRD-VET; Human Resources Development through Vocational Education and Training) on the academic success of vocational school students. Differently from the literature, this research is important for the reason that it is performed on either the students studying with former educational program or the students studying new İKMEP educational program. The participants of the study are composed of 167 students studying at Computer Programming program in Erzincan University. In this study, we used comparative method of research technique and the average point of the students’ grade is analyzed with t-test. The results of the study illustrated that İKMEP education program has positive effect on student academic success for students who are admitted to the vocational school without entrance exam.

1-9

Authors: Firdevs GÜNEŞ

Scientific and technological advances of today, force the universities to train more qualified individuals. That needs to increase the quality of educational programs and practices, and requires constant updating in universities. So within the framework of the “Bologna Process” higher education programs have been started to be updated in our country. These studies, carried out to develop the skills and competencies of students’ knowledge with student-centered educational approach. Besides a variety of knowledge and skills, ability to work independently and assume responsibility, learning, communication and social competence skills, such as domain specific competencies and professional competence is intended to gain to the students. This approach needs to teaching cognitive (logical, intuitive and creative thinking) and practical (manual skills, methods, materials, tools to use) skills, that is to say language, mental, social and emotional skills in higher education. Teaching of skills is different from teaching of the information in methods and practice. Therefore the universities should be developed for the assessment of teaching and coaching skills. Otherwise, the rote teaching of information will inevitably grow and achieving the goals of higher education will be difficult.

14-19

Authors: Yücel NAMAL

The modernization in the higher education during the republic period in Turkey has begun with establishing the Istanbul University upon closing down the Darülfünun (Ottoman University) through university reform in 1933. Thus, following the university reform, it has been provided for many foreign scientist and academic members, who had escaped from Nazi Germany and had come to Turkey, to give lectures in İstanbul University. The studies of those foreign scientists have renewed the higher education both regarding the education and organization. As a result of the modern techniques in the education and training, has been started to be used and the number of books, in the University and in the libraries, have increased. In addition, the translated and copyrighted works have also been brought by those foreign scientists to the higher education.

25-32

Authors: Ali Rıza ERDEM

Ethics refers to a number of principles related to certain attitudes and moral values which are recognized by a group of people or the society itself. Science ethics could also be named as ethic and scientific dimensions which are supposed to care about related to the planning and maintenance of the scientific study. Moreover, the ethics of science includes the ethical values concerning various studies and publishing. However, it is also very common to come across some situations contradicting the science ethics in scientific studies and publishing the academic staffs who are supposed to train scientific ethics are effectively responsible for three major points: (1) Education & training, (2) Consultancy for post-graduate thesis, (3) Scientific jury membership and being a reviewer referee in scientific journals.

43-49

Authors: Şule ERGÖL, Gülten KOÇ, Kafiye EROĞLU, Lale TAŞKIN

In our country which has patriarchal social structure in which the primary responsibility of a woman is her home and her family, female research assistant face problems while balancing their business and domestic life. Especially in the beginning of scholarship, and yet both students and research assistants have a professional working women to balance their work and family life with a gender perspective on the issues important to reveal the density. This study is a research in descriptive type made for the aim of determining the opinions of women working as research assistant regarding their business and family lives and the problems they meet, through the gender perspective. Sample of research is composed of 246 women who worked as research assistant. Data were collected by face-to-face interview method and data collection form developed by the researchers. Descriptive statics and Chi-square tests was used during the evaluation of data. It stated by 27.2 % of the female participators of the study that there is an inequality between men and women in business life. 31.7 % of the female research assistants think that to have a higher status than male causes problems in domestic life. It is determined that the roles imposed on woman at home traditionally (cooking, washing the dishes, laundering, ironing, cleaning the house, cloth repairing) are performed by the most of the women included in research; and works such as repair of house, shopping, invoice payment are performed mostly by the man.

54-62

Authors: Tuğçe GÜNTER, Eda ÖZEL GÜNEŞ, Ebru OFLUOĞLU DEMİR

The aim of vocational high schools is to teach qualified, high self-sufficient, self-confident, technical staff who have critical and mathematical thinking competence and who can utilize science and technology efficiently. However, because of the limitations of traditional education, students can not take enough education attendance. In this context; along with the advances in science and technology area, “Web- Based Distance Education Programme”, which provides equal education conditions to students, is developed. This programme has got great progresses in abroad, and has also started to practice in Turkish Vocational High Schools. It is determined that some Vocational High Schools have applied Web-Based Distance Education in Medical Documentation and Secretarial (MDS) and Medical Laboratory Techniques (MLT) Associate Degree Programmes which are also existed in Bülent Ecevit University (BEU) Ahmet Erdoğan Health Services Vocational High School. It is observed that the universities, that implemented distance education in these associate degree programmes, have higher technical infrastructure and they design a constructivism-based modules. It is considered that this distance education programme for MDS and MLT Associate Degree Programmes in certain Vocational Schools, can also be implemented for students in Medical Documentation and Secretarial (MDS) and Medical Laboratory Techniques (MLT) which continues education by computers and overhead projector that is slightly different from traditional education.