Teacher Candidates’ Reflective Practices of Mathematics Curriculum From the Lens of Universal Design for Learning

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework encourages educators to proactively remove barriers in curriculum and instruction to increase accessibility for all learners. While UDL is often applied during lesson planning, it can also serve as a powerful tool for critically examining and revising existing mathematics curricula. Drawing on qualitative data from teacher candidates’ reflective journals and curriculum artifacts collected over two semesters, this study examines how guided reflection supported teacher candidates in identifying barriers, proposing inclusive adaptations, and deepening their understanding of equity-oriented mathematics instructional design. As a self-study grounded in participatory action research, the findings also informed the researcher’s own practice as a mathematics teacher educator, highlighting the value of recursive reflection in bridging the theory–practice divide in mathematics instruction. This study underscores the potential of UDL-guided reflection as a generative practice for developing inclusive mathematics educators

From Inquiry to Action: Leveraging Group Level Assessment to Elevate Teacher Voice

This methodological paper explores the use of Group Level Assessment (GLA) (Vaughn & Lohmueller, 2014; Vaughn, 2024) as a participatory approach to practitioner inquiry within an early childhood education program. Using Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s (2009) inquiry as stance as a guiding conceptual framework, GLA is framed as a methodology that affirms educator expertise, fosters collective reflection, and generates tangible action. We document the adaptation and implementation of the GLA protocol at the Arlitt Center, a university-affiliated early childhood laboratory school committed to teacher-led professional learning. Through an adapted GLA process, teaching staff engaged in identifying barriers and opportunities related to a shared pedagogical focus—phenology. GLA facilitated the co-construction of professional knowledge, generation of actionable solutions, and reflection on teacher identity as researchers. Consideration is also given to the limitations and benefits of GLA, positioning it as a valuable method for advancing and expanding the impact of practitioner research, within and beyond the classroom

Exploring Researcher-Practitioner Authorship Collaboration in English, Foreign Language, and Mathematics Education

This study examined collaboration and bidirectional relationships between researchers and practitioners in the context of journal publications. Through exploration of research and practitioner journals in the areas of English, Foreign Languages, and Mathematics, we aimed to understand how authorship patterns and types of references illustrate the gap between research and practice. Findings indicate that collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the context of journal publications is minimal, and practitioner presence is scarce in research. The types of references included in publications are high quality regardless of authorship, but there is a problem of exposure that limits the research from reaching the classroom. These findings highlight the gap between researcher and practitioner communities and lead to specific recommendations that could alleviate issues and allow research to be perceived more positively and made more accessible to educators, thus strengthening the school system and improving outcomes for teachers and students in the future

(Re)imagining Research-Practice Collaboration and Partnership: Constructivism by Way of Interdisciplinarity, Multimodality, and Humanity

Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs) have become an important vehicle for educational research. By connecting researchers and educators, RPPs can couple systematic research and practical application. However, relational practices for building research collaboratives are understudied, and RPPs often reinscribe power imbalances among practitioners and researchers. With its focus on the centrality of practitioners and their knowledge, practitioner research offers possibilities for disrupting such power imbalances. In this reflective essay, our team describes our efforts to harness practitioner research’s capacity to identify and address salient school-level issues and RPPs’ power to impact a wider audience. We identify practices to build relationships, inform research processes, and encourage full participation across a research team. We conclude with specific practices that support these ideas

Breathing Life Into SEL: A Practitioner Inquiry on HĀ, Belonging, and Multilingual Learners in Hawai‘i

This practitioner inquiry explores how a Pacific-oriented social-emotional learning (SEL) framework, Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ: BREATH), can affirm the cultural identities and emotional well-being of Filipino multilingual learners (MLs) in Hawai‘i. Implemented over a 15-week period in a third-grade classroom, the study draws on culturally adapted SEL lessons, student exit tickets and focus groups, and teacher reflections to examine how SEL shifts when grounded in Indigenous values, heritage language use, and community knowledge. Findings reveal three key themes: (1) Cultural Connection Fosters Belonging, (2) Language Visibility Promotes Emotional Safety, and (3) Identity-Affirming Practices Build Confidence and Voice. While students responded positively to lessons that honored their linguistic and cultural strengths, tensions emerged around emotional vulnerability and equitable representation. This study contributes to a growing body of work calling for SEL to move beyond Eurocentric models toward relational, place-based, and equity-oriented practices that reflect the lived experiences of historically marginalized youth in multilingual classrooms

Determination of demographic factors affecting financial literacy level: A study on Malatya Turgut Özal University personnel

Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, İşletme Ana Bilim DalıBu çalışma ile Malatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi personelinin finansal okuryazarlık düzeyine etki eden demografik özellikler belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmada Malatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi'nde görev yapan 280 akademik ve idari personel örneklem olarak belirlenmiştir. Anket yapılan kişi sayısı 280'den 320'ye çıkarılmıştır. Elde edilen verilen Bağımsız Örneklem T-testi ve Kruskall Wallis ve Mann Whitney U testine tabi tutulmuştur. Yapılan analizler sonucunda finansal okuryazarlık ile cinsiyet arasında anlamlı bir farlılık olmadığı, yaş ile finansal bilgi, finansal davranış, finansal tutum ve finansal okuryazarlık anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı, cinsiyet ile finansal bilgi, finansal davranış, finansal tutum ve finansal okuryazarlık anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca eğitim düzeyi ile finansal okuryazarlık arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu, kadro türü ile finansal okuryazarlık arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu, gelir durumu ile finansal davranış arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu, medeni durum ile finansal davranış arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu, görülmüştür.This study aimed to determine the demographic factors affecting the financial literacy levels of Malatya Turgut Özal University personnel. The study sampled 280 academic and administrative staff at Malatya Turgut Özal University. The number of survey participants was increased from 280 to 320. The resulting data were subjected to the Independent Samples T-test, Kruskall Wallis, and Mann Whitney U tests. The analyses revealed no significant difference between financial literacy and gender. There were no significant differences between age and financial knowledge, financial behavior, financial attitude, or financial literacy. There were also no significant differences between gender and financial knowledge, financial behavior, financial attitude, or financial literacy. Furthermore, there were significant differences between education level and financial literacy, between job type and financial literacy, between income status and financial behavior, and between marital status and financial behavior

Effects of Tillage Methods on Soil Physical Properties in Apricot Orchards

This study was conducted to determine the effects of 6 different tillage practices on soil physical properties in apricot orchards. In the study; soil cultivation with an on-row hoe engine in the spring and a cultivator between the rows (T1), tillage with an on-row hoe machine and a cultivator in the spring between the rows, and soil tillage with a cultivator in the autumn (T2), zero tillage (T3), mulching with wood sawdust (T4), mulching with wheat stubble (T5) and deep tillage with a mouldboard plow in autumn and cultivator in spring (conventional tillage) (T6) were carried out in an apricot orchard according to random trial blocks of the trial plan. The obtained data were subjected to analysis of variance and multiple comparison test. Statistical results showed that only soil moisture was affected by tillage methods. According to these data, the highest soil bulk density (1.63 g cm-3) was obtained in the T3 treatment at a soil depth of 10-20 cm. The highest porosity (0.46) was also observed in T3 treatment. The T1 treatment had the highest moisture content (27.21%) while the lowest penetration resistance (1.75 MPa) was measured in T4 treatment

İnsanlarda yaşlanmanın beyin üzerindeki etkisi: Kapsamlı bir inceleme

Abstract The human brain is an approximately three-pound organ and serves as the ultimate command center of the human body through the sensory, motor and autonomic nervous systems. Aging is a complex process involving many molecular and metabolic events. There are many theories that try to explain this process. These theories cannot be considered in isolation and are interconnected. During the aging process, functional decline occurs in many organs. In this process, the brain is subjected to changes at histological, physiological and molecular levels. The main morphological changes seen with aging include brain volume loss, gray and white matter atrophy, cortical thinning, loss of gyrification and ventricular enlargement. The cellular, morphological and functional changes that occur in the brain with aging have been reported to be caused by molecular changes, especially in neurons and glia cells. Brain aging is known to be the greatest risk factor for various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, which are known to be a major public health problem. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of brain aging. This review focuses on the histological, physiological, and molecular changes that occur in the brain during the aging process. Key words: Aging, Brain, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseaseÖzet İnsan beyni yaklaşık olarak üç kiloluk bir organdır ve duyusal, motor ve otonom sinir sistemleri aracılığıyla insan vücudunun en üst düzey komuta merkezi olarak hizmet etmektedir. Yaşlanma birçok moleküler ve metabolik olayın içerisinde bulunduğu kompleks bir süreçtir. Bu süreci açıklamaya çalışan birçok teori bulunmaktadır. Bu teoriler tek başına düşünülemez ve birbiriyle bağlantılıdır. Yaşlanma sürecinde, birçok organda fonksiyonel gerileme meydana gelmektedir. Bu süreçte beyinde histolojik, fizyolojik ve moleküler düzeyde değişime maruz kalmaktadır. Yaşlanmayla birlikte görülen başlıca morfolojik değişiklikler arasında beyin hacmi kaybı, gri ve beyaz madde atrofisi, kortikal incelme, girifikasyon kaybı ve ventriküler genişleme yer almaktadır. Yaşlanmayla beyinde meydana gelen hücresel, morfolojik ve fonksiyonel değişikliklere özellikle nöron ve glia hücrelerinde gerçekleşen moleküler değişimlerin neden olduğu bildirilmiştir. Beyin yaşlanmasının, büyük bir halk sağlığı sorunu olduğu bilinen Alzheimer ve Parkinson hastalıkları da dahil olmak üzere çeşitli nörodejeneratif hastalıklar için en büyük risk faktörü olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu nedenle beynin yaşlanma mekanizmasının anlaşılması önemlidir. Bu derlemede yaşlanma sürecinde beyinde meydana gelen histolojik, fizyolojik ve moleküler değişiklikler üzerine odaklanmaktadır. Anahtar kelime: Yaşlanma, Beyin, Alzheimer hastalığı, Parkinson hastalığ

A Critical Look at Using Children’s Literature in English Language Education

The current study aimed to investigate whether an involvement in the use of children’s literature in foreign language education course resulted in an increase in graduate students’ attitudes, awareness, and knowledge of children’s literature when teaching English. The study included six graduate students attending a Master’s Program in English Language Teaching in Türkiye. This exploratory case study followed a qualitative case study method including focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews held through online sessions. The results indicated an increase in students’ appreciation, acceptance, and awareness of using children’s literature in English language classrooms. Participants, overwhelmingly, held a positive attitude towards using children’s literature in teaching English supporting the view that the use of children’s literature was beneficial in teaching grammar and language skills. Besides, it provided improvement in language learners’ imagination and critical thinking, interpreting, and guessing skills. It was found that children’s literature could also be used as an instrument for improving students’ cultural enrichment

Evaluation of biochemical and inflammatory profiles of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery

Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Tıbbi Biyokimya Ana Bilim DalıObezite artık Türkiye'de ve tüm dünyada giderek artan bir morbidite ve mortalite kaynağı haline gelmiştir. Bu nedenle son yıllarda obezite ile mücadeleye dikkat çekmeye çalışılmaktadır. Obezite tedavisi uzun sürelidir ve multidisipliner bir tedavi protokolü gerektirir. Adipokinler, adipoz dokudan sentezlenen, proinflamatuar ve antiinflamatuvar etkiye sahip biyoaktif proteinlerdir. Obezitede, adipoz dokudan salınan yüksek seviyedeki adipokinlerin, oksidatif strese ve inflamasyona neden olduğu belirtilmiştir. Obezite, yağ dokusunda artan makrofajların ve T lenfositlerin etkileşimi ile ilişkilidir. Bu ilişki, adipoz dokudaki proinflamatuvar sitokinlerin aktivitesinin artmasına neden olur. Yapılan son araştırmalar obez bireylerde, TNF-?, IL-6, CRP gibi proinflamatuar sitokinlerin ve akut faz proteinlerinin yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir. Asprosin, yağ dokusundan salınan ve metabolizma üzerinde önemli etkileri olan bir adipokindir. Asprosin ile obezite arasındaki nedensel ilişki tam olarak anlaşılamamış olsa da asprosinin metabolik yollarda çok önemli rol oynayan yeni bir molekül olduğuna ve obezite için bir biyobelirteç ve hedef molekül olarak kullanılabileceğine dair artan kanıtlar bulunmaktadır. Tüm bu bilgiler ışığında planlanan bu tez çalışmasında bariatrik cerrahinin serum asprosin, C-Reaktif Protein (CRP) ve IL-6 (interlökin-6) değerlerine etkisini incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmaya Malatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Genel Cerrahi Kliniği'ne başvuran obezite cerrahisine karar verilmiş ve çalışmaya gönüllü olarak katılan 44 hasta dahil edildi. Obezite cerrahisi geçiren bireylerin serum örnekleri pre-op ve post-op 1, 3. ve 6. aylarda alınarak asprosin, CRP ve IL-6 düzeyleri ölçüldü. Obezite cerrahisi öncesi ve sonrası değerler karşılaştırılarak, cerrahi müdahalenin bu biyobelirteçler üzerindeki etkisi değerlendirildi. Çalışmamız sonucunda obezite cerrahisi geçirmiş bireylerde diğer çalışma sonuçlarıyla uyumlu olarak asprosin, CRP ve IL-6 düzeylerinin operasyon öncesi değerleri yüksek iken operasyon sonrası ağırlık kaybı ile birlikte bu değerlerde azalma tespit ettik. Bu sonuçlar eşliğinde obezite cerrahisi sonrası ağırlık kaybı ile beraber asprosin, CRP, IL-6 düzeylerini birlikte değerlendirmemizin litaratüre katkısının olduğunu düşünmekteyiz. ANAHTAR KELİMELER:Obezite, Bariatrik Cerrahi, Asprosin, C-Reaktif Protein, İnterlökin-6Obesity has become an increasing source of morbidity and mortality in Turkey and all over the world. For this reason, efforts have been made to draw attention to the fight against obesity in recent years. Obesity treatment is long-term and requires a multidisciplinary treatment protocol. Adipokines are bioactive proteins synthesized from adipose tissue and have proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. In obesity, high levels of adipokines released from adipose tissue have been reported to cause oxidative stress and inflammation. In obesity, the increase in fat mass is associated with the interaction of T lymphocytes and macrophages in adipose tissue. This relationship leads to increased activity of proinflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue. Recent studies show that proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-?, CRP and acute phase proteins are high in obese individuals. Asprosin is an adipokine released from adipose tissue and has important effects on metabolism. Although the causal relationship between asprosin and obesity is not fully understood, there is increasing evidence that asprosin is a new molecule that plays a very important role in metabolic pathways and can be used as a biomarker and target molecule for obesity. In the light of all this information, this thesis study was planned to investigate the effects of bariatric surgery on serum Asprosin, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and IL-6 (interleukin-6) values. The study included 44 patients who applied to the General Surgery Clinic of Malatya Turgut Ozal University Training and Research Hospital, who decided to undergo obesity surgery and agreed to participate in the study. Serum samples of individuals who underwent bariatric surgery were taken pre-operatively and at 1., 3. and 6. months post-operatively and asprosin, CRP and IL-6 levels were measured. The effect of surgical intervention on these biomarkers was evaluated by comparing the values before and after bariatric surgery. As a result of our study, in line with the results of other studies, we found that while the preoperative values of asprosin, CRP and IL-6 levels were high in individuals who had undergone obesity surgery, these values decreased with postoperative weight loss. We believe that evaluating asprosin, CRP, and IL-6 levels together with weight loss after obesity surgery will contribute to the literature in light of these results. KEYWORDS: Obesity, Bariatric Surgery, Asprosin, C-Reactive Protein, Interleukin-