Journal of Social and Educational Research

A Turkish adaptation of the Fears and Resistances to Mindfulness Scale: Factor structure and psychometric properties

2023-12-26T09:22:36+03:00

This study introduces the adaptation process of the Fears and Resistances to Mindfulness Scale (FRMS) in the Turkish context. Additionally, it explores the association between this psychological measure and psychological distress, life satisfaction, and mindful awareness. The structure validity of the scale was confirmed in a sample of 562 Turkish participants. Additionally, item response theory (IRT) analysis showed that the item difficulty and discrimination were appropriate. The FRMS scores exhibited a strong and positive correlation with depression, anxiety, and stress while displaying a negative correlation with life satisfaction and mindful awareness. These findings provide evidence for the concurrent validity of the scale. The study demonstrated incremental validity by using mediational models to show significant and distinct indirect effects of FRMS on life satisfaction. These effects were mediated by psychological distress. The current study demonstrates that the FRMS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing individuals from the Turkish population.

The relationship between coping styles and posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic trauma level after Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

2023-11-30T12:35:03+03:00

Earthquakes, like many other disasters, can cause loss of life, injuries, loss of home, loss of loved ones and unemployment. The prevalence rate of PTSD after natural disasters has been reported to be 10 to 15%. The aim of this study is to examine whether the level of post-earthquake trauma and post-traumatic growth and ways of coping with stress differ between individuals who directly and indirectly experienced the earthquake. In line with this purpose, the sample of the study consists of 33 people between the ages of 17-72 (Mean=38.0, SD=12.0) who were directly affected by the earthquakes with the epicentre of Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023 and 55 participants between the ages of 14-72 (Mean=39.0, SD=13.9) who did not experience an earthquake but were indirectly exposed to the effects of the earthquake through television and social media. Data were collected and analysed through Socio-Demographic Information Form, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Scale for Determining the Level of Post-Earthquake Trauma and Ways of Coping Scale. In our study, in accordance with the literature, it was determined that people who directly experienced the earthquake showed higher trauma levels than people who experienced it indirectly. Another finding in parallel with this is that helplessness scores were found to be higher in people who were directly exposed to the earthquake than those who were indirectly exposed to the earthquake. It is thought that the findings may provide useful information for practitioners to regulate the psychological effects of future earthquakes.

Political interference and its impact on the quality of higher education in Nepalese universities: Stakeholders’ perceptions

2023-11-10T17:59:05+03:00

In this work, the influence of political interferences and student movements on the quality of higher education in Nepalese universities have been investigated on the basis of the perceptions of the university faculty members and students. We have also attempted to reveal the views of faculty members and students regarding government funding, the research environment, the study atmosphere, affordability of education, curriculum updates, and faculty qualifications in Nepalese universities. The finding indicates that there is adverse effect of political interferences on the quality of higher education. The government funding to higher education was thought to be insufficient. There is mixed perceptions of the concerns regarding other issues.

Women's political participation: A comparative study of gender quota implementation in six Western Balkan countries

2023-11-10T17:57:02+03:00

Women’s political participation has increased globally over the course of the 21st century. However, this positive development is less reflected in countries in development, as women continue to rely heavily on affirmative measures such as gender quotas to enter politics. The lack of women’s political participation disrupts human rights and undermines democracy. This study aims to provide a comparative analysis of gender quota regimens on women’s political participation in the six Western Balkans countries: Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Qualitative research case study methods were used to analyze the policies on the implementation of gender quotas. The findings show that (i) six countries subject to this study have legislated gender quotas for women’s political representation, requiring 30-40% women’s representation in electoral lists (ii) the implementation of gender quotas has ensured positive women’s numerical representation in legislated bodies and (iii) the quotas have been less effective in achieving substantial representation of women in positions of power, as the political leadership continues to favor male candidates for decision-making. This study has important implications. It shows that gender quotas can be an effective mechanism to ensure that women are numerically represented in politics, especially in countries where men traditionally have dominated the political sphere such as in the Western Balkans. This study also underscores the potential of gender quotas as a powerful tool for augmenting women's representation in pivotal decision-making roles.

Structural equation model of academic mindset, motivation, perseverance, engagement and secondary school students’ performance in economics in south-west, Nigeria

2023-11-10T17:54:09+03:00

This study examined structural equation model of academic mindset, motivation, perseverance, engagement and secondary school students’ performance in economics in south-west, Nigeria. The study adopted ex-post facto research design. A sample of 1.125 senior secondary school II economics students was drawn out of a population of 362.834 from public and private schools in South-west, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select three states (Ogun, Oyo, and Ekiti), and the respondents involved in the study. Standardized instruments were used for data collection with reliability indices of .78, .79, .76, .75, and .75 for academic mindset, academic motivation, academic perseverance, academic engagement, and performance in economics respectively. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and path analysis at .05 level of significance. The study revealed that the data on academic mindset, academic motivation, academic perseverance, academic engagement and performance in Economics fitted the hypothesized model (χ²=126.27; df=43; χ²/df=2.94; p≤.05); and that there was significant causal relationship among academic mindset, academic motivation, academic perseverance, academic engagement and students’ performance in Economics (R=.55; p≤.05); and that the relative contribution of academic mindset and academic perseverance were significant (R=.55; β =.41; β=.15; p≤.05). The study concluded that academic mindset and academic perseverance were strong predictors of secondary school students’ performance in economics in south-west, Nigeria. The study recommended that education stakeholders should do their best to ensure that they cultivate a positive academic mindset and academic perseverance in students of economics.

The mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between computational thinking and design thinking among students at the college of information technology

2023-10-28T07:29:37+03:00

Thinking is essential in the age of informatics for individuals and communities seeking to improve their lives and understand the world around them. The objective of this study is to determine the statistical significance of the correlations between computational thinking, cognitive flexibility, and design thinking among students in the college of information technology. The study examines the direct, indirect, and total effects between these three variables. A descriptive approach was used for this research, and data was collected from 378 male and female university students. The researcher utilized various statistical methods to assess the validity and reliability of the tools used. The findings of the study are explained in accordance with the theoretical framework and previous research.

Evaluation of theses on dissociation and dissociative disorders in Türkiye: A meta-synthesis study

2023-10-29T12:58:09+03:00

The aim of this study is to evaluate the aims, results and recommendations of theses published in Türkiye on dissociation and dissociative disorders by meta-synthesis method. In our study, 144 theses published between 1995 and 2022 and containing the keywords "dissociation" and/or "dissociative disorders" in the database of the National Thesis Center of the Council of Higher Education were included. These were evaluated by thematic content analysis method in terms of university, institute, science/department, type, subject, year, specialty (master's/doctorate/expertise in medicine), aim, conclusion and recommendations. It was determined that 45.8% of the theses on dissociation and dissociative disorders in Türkiye were published between 2018-2022, 55.6% were expertise in medicine theses, 53.5% were in the field of psychiatry, 97.2% were original research studies, and 96.5% employed quantitative methodology. 29.2% of the dissertations within the scope of our study examined the relationship between dissociation and psychological variables in a non-clinical population, 26.4% of the dissertations found a relationship between dissociation and traumatic experiences, family dynamics, and other psychological characteristics, and 16.0% of the dissertations suggested the need for more cross-sectional and/or longitudinal research. This is the first study to evaluate thesis abstracts containing the terms dissociation and/or dissociative disorders using the meta-synthesis method. It is believed that meta-synthesis studies on dissociation will contribute to the development of short-term therapy models and raise awareness about dissociative disorders, the psychiatric diagnosis group most closely associated with traumatic experiences.

Azerbaijani validation of the High-School Satisfaction Scale: Investigating within the context of education and psychological environment

2023-10-28T18:44:13+03:00

This article presents a comprehensive examination of the adaptation of the High-School Satisfaction Scale (H-Sat Scale) into the Azerbaijani language. In this extensive study, involving a large sample of 1894 adolescents, aged 10 to 16, we validated the H-Sat Scale through confirmatory factor analysis. Various reliability measures substantiated the commendable internal consistency of the H-Sat Scale. The study also encompassed correlation analyses, shedding light on the intricate relationships between the H-Sat Scale and critical variables such as psychological distress, academic self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. We conducted an evaluation to determine whether the H-Sat Scale could predict academic self-efficacy, psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Lastly, findings revealed that academic self-efficacy played a mediating role in influencing high school satisfaction by way of life satisfaction and psychological distress. This extensive inquiry into high school satisfaction among adolescents offers profound insights into its individual and societal implications, providing valuable perspectives on a phenomenon that has grown in significance within the social, psychological and educational contexts.

How did ChatGPT transform us in terms of transformative learning?

2023-10-29T12:51:38+03:00

Individuals transform their ideas and beliefs through an ongoing reflection based on their experiences which is also the basis of transformative learning as Mendoza (2020) suggests. Since self-reflection and the criticism of personal perspectives and attitudes play an important role in transformative learning, through the learning process which has been divided into ten stages by Mezirow (1991), a more self-aware, personally and professionally developed version of self is reached. This study, by taking transformative learning as its basis, aims to portray the experiences of four individuals from academia concerning their usage of ChatGPT. The experiences are examined separately under certain themes which were; personal learning processes, daily life, professional life, academic life, ethical issues and perception of the future.

Exploring the nexus of positive childhood experiences and conflict resolution styles: Unveiling the keys to harmonious relationship dynamics

2023-05-25T13:59:16+03:00

This research examines the association between positive childhood experiences of adults and their conflict resolution styles in romantic relationships, focusing on positive conflict resolution style, negative conflict resolution style, retreat conflict resolution style, and subordination conflict resolution style. The study investigates potential gender differences in positive childhood experiences and conflict resolution styles. A sample of 526 individuals, comprising 361 adult women and 165 adult men, in established romantic relationships was recruited through accessible sampling. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS 26.0 package program and JASP. After confirming the normal distribution of the data, Pearson correlation analysis and independent t-test analysis techniques were utilized. Significance levels of .01 and .05 were considered for statistical evaluation. Results indicate a significant and positive relationship between positive childhood experiences and positive conflict resolution style, as well as a significant negative correlation between positive childhood experiences and negative conflict resolution style. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship was observed between positive childhood experiences and subordination conflict resolution style. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between positive childhood experiences and retreat conflict resolution style. Regarding gender differences in conflict resolution styles, only the subordination conflict resolution style showed a significant difference in favor of male participants. The study concludes by interpreting the findings in line with existing literature and providing recommendations.