Elif Alp, Oğuz Karadeniz, Atalay Çağlar and Emel İslamoğlu
This study aids to examine the impact of extending the internship period on the transition from school to work of vocational school of higher education graduates and subsequent…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aids to examine the impact of extending the internship period on the transition from school to work of vocational school of higher education graduates and subsequent employment outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Within the scope of the study, the results regarding the labour market of the vocational school students (experimental group) whose internship period were extended were compared with the results of the vocational school students (control group) whose internship period remained the same. Thus, it is provided to examine the effects of prolonging the internship period. The surveys were conducted five years after graduation.
Findings
The study found that increasing the duration of the internship period and making it a compulsory part of the curriculum facilitates the transition from school to work for graduates. Graduates who participate in the programme with a long internship period find a job in a shorter time and with higher wages than the control group. It is found that those in the experimental group with an extended internship period have higher employment rates and wage levels compared to those in the control group, five years after graduation.
Originality/value
Although there are publications, in the international literature, on the impact of internship, there are only few publications in which experimental and control groups are formed, as in this article. The second contribution of the study is to measure the impact of internship on employment outcomes five years after graduation. The third important contribution of the study is that it was conducted in Turkey, which has a young population and is an emerging market. This study contributes significantly to the restructuring of vocational higher education, especially in countries that are struggling with youth unemployment.
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Nazlı Nur Aslan Çin and Ayşe Özfer Özçelik
This study aims to determine the level of knowledge about iodine nutrition during pregnancy among pregnant women living in the area of Turkey where goiter is endemic.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the level of knowledge about iodine nutrition during pregnancy among pregnant women living in the area of Turkey where goiter is endemic.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 150 pregnant women aged between 19 and 45 years, registered at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic in Trabzon were recruited. The data was collected through a voluntary face-to-face survey with pregnant women. The questionnaire comprising questions determining the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, data concerning any previous pregnancy, iodized salt consumption habits and knowledge about iodine.
Findings
Although 68% of the women knew that iodine deficiency can cause serious consequences during pregnancy, the remainder did not. The three main dietary sources of iodine in Turkey are fish, cow’s milk and table salt; of the women, 68%, 20% and 77.3%, respectively, correctly identified these as good sources. The more educated of the pregnant women had significantly higher knowledge scores (p < 0.001). However, age, trimester, parity and previous receipt of information about iodine and iodine knowledge scores made no significant differences.
Research limitations/implications
This study may not be generalizable for all pregnant women.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first pilot study to evaluate the level of knowledge regarding iodine among pregnant women in Turkey.
Mustafa Toprak, Mehmet Karakus and Junjun Chen
This study intends to systematically review empirical evidence on transformational school leadership (TSL) in a centralized educational context.
Abstract
Purpose
This study intends to systematically review empirical evidence on transformational school leadership (TSL) in a centralized educational context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study includes a topographical mapping and a narrative review of thirty-seven research articles published in Turkey between 2000 and 2021. The review strategy included systematically searching the Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (ULAKBIM) and Scopus. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram guided the review and reporting process.
Findings
Three key themes emerged: (1) perceptions, attitudes and behaviors; (2) psychological resources, learning and innovation and (3) school climate and culture. The results indicated that the research evidence on TSL in the review did not correspond well with the evidence on TSL in non-Western contexts. The authors also discussed the state of research narratively to provide an overview of the topical foci and methodological and conceptual trends.
Research limitations/implications
First, although the databases of the study are claimed to be regularly updated locally, these two search databases may inevitably have missed some journal articles relevant to the inclusion criteria. A possible solution is to include more databases like ERIC, PsycArticles, SAGE, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, Web of Science and ProQuest. Second, the authors decided to limit the exploration of journal articles on transformative leadership to peer-reviewed journal articles. The authors might have missed a wider range of insights available in book chapters, books, research papers, dissertations and gray literature. Third, as there were many levels of research foci, the authors did the coding on research foci and methods. However, the approach may not allow authors to explore the relationships between research foci and method design. One possible solution is to do all coding in one file so that more complex analysis can follow. Finally, the authors agree that TSL is only one leadership style that is related to leadership effectiveness and that effective leadership is multi-faceted and requires a combination of leadership styles. Accordingly, the evidence in the study sheds light on only one dimension of leadership effectiveness.
Originality/value
Our review is part of an effort to demonstrate the importance of a culturally-situated understanding of TSL and to develop a globally validated knowledge base. It identifies and summarizes research in a non-Western school context defined by centrality, lack of autonomy and accountability.
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Başak Gülüm and İbrahim Halil Türker
The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale that can measure the level of respect for differences of middle school students. The validity and reliability…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale that can measure the level of respect for differences of middle school students. The validity and reliability studies of the scale draft prepared as a result of the opinions received were carried out on 964 middle school students.
Design/methodology/approach
The sequential exploratory mixed method was used. In the study, attitude items were created by examining the studies in the literature with qualitative methods, and the scale was then finalized by applying tests for the attitude scale prepared with quantitative methods.
Findings
As a result of the exploratory factor analysis made on the data obtained, a structure consisting of 20 items and four factors as “gender”, “disability status”, “physical appearance” and “cultural identity” were reached. Also, it was seen that the scale identified 56% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis that was performed on another sample showed that the sample fit of the scale was at an acceptable level. The reliability coefficient of the scale was calculated as Cronbach’s α = 0.815; composite reliability was ranged between 0.766 and 0.894 and the internal consistency of the scale was quite high. It was concluded that the scale developed to determine the level of respect for differences is a valid and reliable measurement tool.
Originality/value
This study is considered significant in terms of presenting a valid and reliable scale that will reveal the attitudes of middle school students towards differences in the literature.