Changes in Preschool Teachers’ Perceptions About Integrated STEM Education After a Professional Development Experience

This study explored how a professional development experience changed preschool teachers' perceptions of integrated STEM education. In addition, the research examined what teachers learned about STEM education with this experience. The study employed a qualitative research design, precisely a case study approach. Thirty preschool teachers participated in the study. The professional development program spanned seven days, with a total duration of 48 hours. Data for the research study were gathered through a questionnaire that included drawing and open-ended items, as well as through participant journals. Thematic analysis was employed as the data analysis method. The qualitative data were coded and categorized during the analysis process. Prior to the professional development, it was found that preschool teachers had different perceptions regarding integrated STEM education. These perceptions were superficial and exhibited inaccurate and incomplete understandings of STEM education. It was revealed that the professional development experience eliminated teachers’ misunderstanding about STEM education and enabled them to gain a more complex understanding of STEM education. In addition, the study revealed that the professional development experience significantly enhanced teachers' understanding of the theoretical background of STEM education, facilitating their application of STEM and resulting in positive change in teachers’ feelings towards STEM education

Turkish business system and diversification

Sönmez (1990: 12) starts his book with the following words on the one hand: “It does not matter whether we are aware of it or not. Approximately 50 families or capital groups have managed Turkey. And the domination of these families has consolidated with every passing year. From economy to politics, from cultural life to the foreign policy, the decisions determining the destiny of 60 million have been decided by these big families or holding companies”. On the other hand, Buğra (1994: 187) emphasizes that “the decision to enter into a new area of activity is often taken via suggestions and recommendations of government authorities rather than through an evaluation of market signals”. It is obvious that there is an important relationship between governments and businesses. Moreover, as Çolpan, Hikino and Lincoln’s book (the Oxford Handbook of Business Groups, 2010) shows, it is important to emphasize that this is not only a case for Turkey but almost for all countries, particularly for developing ones because governments need some specific groups to help them for the growth and sustain it (e.g. Buğra, 1994; Çolpan et al, 2010; Çolpan and Hikino, 2008; Hoskisson, Johnson, Tihanyi and White, 2005; Khanna and Palebu, 2000; Tezel, 1982). Big business groups have undertaken the task of basic developmental actors of modern economic development in successful developing countries (Buğra, 1994; Çolpan et al, 2010; Çolpan and Hikino, 2008). In other words, there are mutual needs between them. In this context, despite the nuances, the holding companies or family holdings in Turkey is assumed under the same conceptual framework with the groups of Spain and South America, business houses of India, chaebol of South Korea, keiretsu of Japan and qiye jituan of China (e.g. Buğra, 1994; Çolpan and Hikino, 2008; Karaevli, 2008; Özkara et al., 2008). The relationship between some giant business groups and governments is an important claim which is often expressed as a necessity to grow and make the achieved growth sustainable (e.g. Buğra, 1994; Schneider, 2010; Tezel, 1982). One of the most important reasons behind the frequent discussion of this claim is the growing interest in diversified business groups, which are frequently seen in developing countries as serious economic actors against developed countries (e.g. Colpan, Hikino and Linkoln, 2010). With diversified business groups that is defined by Colpan and Jones (2016: 69) as “the term business group has been used broadly to encompass quite different organizational forms, including network-type, diversified and pyramidal groups, even if most research has focused on 'diversified' business groups that are active in technologically unrelated businesses”, the studies on business groups and developing countries show that it is one of the most common growth options, although Nguyen and Cai, (2016) argue that diversification is a rare event. The diversification strategy, which is the most important growth method of these groups and the popularity of the diversification strategy has also constituted an important field of study (Colpan and Jones, 2016). In this context, while it is often claimed that the main motivations identified in the central countries are valid for the whole world, on the contrary, it is emphasized that cultural and national differences will also lead to differences in this field. This study also predicts that the main drivers will differ in different countries. For this reason, it is claimed that the adoption of the diversification strategy of business groups in Turkey, which has a different class from the central country in terms of the national business systems that Whitley presents, can be based on more political-based reasons than the main sources of motivation in the central literature. This study is tried to examine that, different motivations may be the subject of different political periods and even different groups may follow this strategy for various reasons due to different attitudes towards politics with the emphasis on the diversified business groups classification made by Schneider (2010). Therefore, the largest business groups in Turkey have been identified and six of them have been selected to examine the main sources of the motivation behind the adoption of the diversification strategy in different political periods

Test for the effect of tourism receipts on economic growth in Turkey: structural break and causality analysis

Bu çalışmada Türkiye'de 1992:Q1- 2004:Q4 dönemindeki turizm gelirindeki artışın ekonomik büyümeye etkisi araştırılmaktadır. Geleneksel birim kök testinin(Augmented Dickey Fuller) yanı sıra, yapısal kırılmanın varlığının tespiti için, Zivot ve Andrews'in(1992) birim kök testi kullanılmıştır. Zivot ve Andrews'in test sonuçları, ADF testinin aksine, gayri safi yurtiçi hasıla ve turizm değişkenlerinin trend durağan olduğunu göstermektedir. Standart Granger nedensellik testi sonuçları ve Toda-Yamamoto(1995) yaklaşımına göre, turizm gelirleri ile iktisadi büyüme arasında nedensellik ilişkisi yoktur.This study investigates the causal relations between tourism growth and economic growth in Turkey over the 1992:Q1-2004:Q4 period. In this study, in addition to the conventional unit root test( Augmented Dickey-Fuller), Zivot and Andrews's(1992)unit root test is employed to find out whether there is a structural break or not. Results of Zivot and Andrews test show that Gross Domestic Product and tourism variables are trend stationary on the contrary Augmented Dickey-Fuller test. According to Standart Granger causality test results and Toda-Yamamoto(1995) approach, there is not causality relation between tourism receipts and economic growth

Das Verhältnis zwischen Technik und Wahrheit in Heideggers Die Frage nach der Technik

As people who live in modern ages, technology occupies a great place in our lives. In the way how we relate to technology, we regard it as a means to an end. We use technology in the service of our needs. But we also blame technology for dissolving human relations and controlling our lives. My claim in this paper is that technology in itself cannot be hold responsible for this unwelcome scene alone. There is also the role of the way how we relate to technology. Therefore, we should question what technology is in itself regardless of its service. Heidegger in The Question Concerning Technology claims that technology cannot be understood instrumentally but as a mode of revealing. In this revealing the truth, in the sense of aletheia, happens. Thus, if we consider technology as a place where truth happens, we can reconstruct our relation to it.Kako živimo u modernom dobu, tehnika zauzima veliko mjesto u našim životima. U našem odnosu prema tehnici smatramo je sredstvom za određene svrhe. Koristimo tehniku u svrhu naših potreba. No također krivimo tehniku za razaranje ljudskih odnosa i kontroliranje naših života. U ovom radu tvrdim da tehniku samu po sebi ne možemo smatrati odgovornom za ovu nepoželjnu situaciju. Tu je također i uloga načina na koji se odnosimo prema tehnici. Stoga bi trebali propitati što je tehnika po sebi bez obzira na njenu upotrebu. Heidegger u djelu Pitanje o tehnici smatra da se tehnika ne može poimati instrumentalno, nego kao način raskrivanja. U tome se zbiva raskrivanje istine, u smislu aletheia. Na taj način, ako tehniku poimamo kao mjesto gdje se zbiva istina, možemo rekonstruirati naš odnos prema njoj.En tant que personnes vivant à l’âge moderne, la technique occupe une grande place dans nos vies. Dans notre rapport envers la technique, nous la considérons comme un moyen de parvenir à nos fins. Nous mettons la technique au service de nos besoins. Mais nous la accusons également de détruire les relations humaines et de contrôler nos vies. Dans cet article, j’affirme que la technique en soi ne peut être considérée comme responsable de cette situation indésirable. Il y a aussi le rôle du mode de notre rapport envers la technique. De ce fait, il faudrait questionner ce qu’est la technique en soi indépendemment de son utilisation. Dans La question de la technique, Heidegger affirme que la technique ne peut être interprétée de manière instrumentale, mais comme un mode du dévoilement. C’est en cela que le dévoilement de la vérité, au sens de l’aletheia, se passe. Ainsi, si l’on conçoit la technique comme un lieu où se passe la vérité, l’on peut reconstruire notre rapport envers elle.Da wir in der modernen Ära leben, nimmt die Technik eine beachtliche Stellung in unseren Existenzen ein. In unserem Verhältnis zur Technik betrachten wir sie als Mittel zum Zweck. Wir bedienen uns der Technik im Dienste eigener Bedürfnisse. Dahingegen geben wir ihr jedoch die Schuld an der Zerrüttung der menschlichen Beziehungen sowie an der Kontrollübernahme über unsere Leben. Meine Behauptung in diesem Artikel lautet, die Technologie könne für diese unwillkommene Szenerie nicht allein verantwortlich gemacht werden. Als mitwirkend erweist sich bei dieser Gelegenheit die Art, in der wir die Technik behandeln. Dieserhalb sollten wir dem Wesen der Technik auf den Grund gehen, ungeachtet ihrer Verwendung. In Die Frage nach der Technik beteuert Heidegger, die Technik könne nicht instrumental ausgelegt werden, sondern vielmehr als Enthüllungsmethode. Darin findet die Offenbarung der Wahrheit statt, im Sinne der Aletheia. Nehmen wir folglich die Technik als Schauplatz der Wahrheit in Augenschein, so sind wir imstande, unser Verhältnis zu ihr nachzubilden

Can explicit reflective approach activities about the nature of science be prepared to contribute to the overcoming of alternative concepts in the field of science subject?

AbstractThe aim of this study is to develop explicit reflective activities to contribute to the overcoming of alternative concepts in the field of science subject and to introduce the preparation process of these activities. In an activity called “marble”, the role of imagination and creativity in science is dealt with the speed of dispersion of light which depends on the context. In the activity of “Guess what I am?” the difference between observation and deduction, the subjectivity and temporariness of the scientific knowledge are focused on. White light's covering all the colours, and the light filters’ transferring itself colours which are close to itself in this activity. The prepared activities were piloted and necessary adjustments were made at the end of pilot. It was observed that activities were applicable in the class

Identification of Mesophylic Bacterial Flora in Deceased Worker Adults of Apis mellifera caucasia (Pollmann, 1889)

Apis mellifera, widely farmed around the world, is the most economically important species within the genus Apis. While the microbiota of live honey bees have been extensively examined, bacteria found in deceased honey bees (which might indicate infection or opportunistic pathogens) is in contrast poorly studied. Therefore, we decided to investigate the mesophilic bacterial flora of dead honey bees. So, in September 2013, dead adult worker honey bees were collected from 12 different cities, most of which were in the border provinces of Turkey. We identified bacterial isolates at the species level by using different morphological, biochemical, physical and molecular methods, in conjunction with molecular phylogenetic analysis. We constructed phylogenetic trees for isolated bacteria with the MEGA 6.0 program and neighbor-joining trees were reconstructed based on 16S rDNA gene sequences. The phylogenetic trees indicated that isolates DE003, DE007, DE011, DE001, DE019 and DE016, DE029 could be new members of the genera Erwinia, Acidovorax, Hydrogenophaga and Bacillus genus, respectively. In the bioassay study results, we observed that DE019 Hydrogenophaga sp. (64.7%) and DE004 Klebsiella grimontii (73.3%) had lethal effects on the honey bees. The other mortalities ranged from 10% to 25% (p>0.05), and according to a One-Way ANOVA analysis DE004 and DE019 significantly affect the A. mellifera caucasia in adult worker honey bees. This study is the first report of Hydrogenophaga as honey bee pathogen

CORROSION MEASUREMENT OF REBARS BY ELECTRICAL METHODS

Betonarme yapıların güvenliğini ve servis ömrünü etkileyen en önemli faktörlerden biri de betona gömülü çelik donatıların korozyonu olmaktadır. Yapılardaki hasarın gerçek derecesinin tespiti ve gelişiminin değerlendirilmesi için donatılardaki korozyon seviyesinin bilinmesi gerekmektedir. Geçmişte uygulanan tahribatlı yöntemler çok fazla zaman ve işçilik kaybına neden olmaktadır. Bunun yanında, son yıllarda geliştirilmeye çalışılan yöntemler ise oldukça karmaşık, uygulaması güç ve yüksek maliyetli yöntemlerdir. Bu çalışmada betona gömülü çelik donatıların korozyonunun tespiti ve kontrol edilmesi için tahribatsız bir metot önerilmektedir. Elektriksel ölçümlere dayanan yöntemde, direnç farklılıklarının değerlendirilmesi ile korozyon gelişimi hakkında fikir edilinebilir. Corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete is one of the most important factors affecting the safety and service life of reinforced concrete structures. The assessment and quantification of the actual degree of damage and the prediction of its evolution needs measurement of the level of steel corrosion. Destructive methods used in the past cause loss of much time and workmanship. Besides, recent non-destructive methods are very complex, difficult to apply and high cost. In this study, a non-destructive test method was proposed to asses the corrosion of reinforcement in concrete. Corrosion process may be observed by evaluation of differences in resistance based on electrical measurements

A study into the relation between the level of job burnout and job involvement of the practitioners of accountancy: Ankara case

Çalışmada, meslek mensuplarının mesleki tükenmişlik ve işe bağlılık düzeyleri saptanarak, mesleki tükenmişlik düzeylerinin alt boyutları ile işe bağlılık arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Mesleki tükenmişlik düzeyinin ölçümünde, Maslach tükenmişlik envanteri, muhasebe meslek mensuplarının işe bağlılık düzeyinin belirlenmesi için ise Kanungo (1982)’nun “İşe Bağlılık Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Mesleki tükenmişlik ve işe bağlılık düzeyinin belirlenmesine yönelik her bir ifadeye ilişkin katılımcı görüşleri yüzde, frekans, aritmetik ortalama ve standart sapma hesaplanarak analiz edilmiştir. Meslek mensuplarının tükenmişlik düzeyleri ile işe bağlılık arasındaki ilişki Pearson korelasyon katsayısı ile saptanmıştır. Sonuçlara bakıldığında; muhasebe meslek mensuplarının tükenmişlik düzeyi ile işe bağlılık düzeyleri arasında negatif yönde bir ilişkinin mevcut olduğu görülmüştür.The study sets out to find out the level of job burnout and job involvement and examines the relation between the sub-dimensions of job burnout and job involvement. Maslach burnout inventory was used to measure the level of job burnout. To find out the level of job involvement for the practitioners of accountancy “job involvement scale” by Kanungo (1982) was employed. Opinions of the participants for each statement for job involvement and job burnout were analyzed through frequency, percentage, arithmetic average and standard deviation. The relation between job involvement and job burnout for the practitioners of accountancy was determined using Pearson correlation coefficient. The results suggest that there is a negative-direction relation between job involvement and job burnout of the practitioners of accountancy

Türkiye’de gıda örneklerinden izole edilen Aeromonasların biyokimyasal tanımlanması ve nümerik taksonomisi

Kırmızı et, çiğ tavuk, kıyma ve balıktan alınan Aeromonas suşlarına ait yeni 126 izolatın fenotipik verilerini analiz etmek için nümerik taksonomi kullanılmıştır. Her bir suş 86 karakter bakımından test edilmesine rağmen son veri seti 63 karakter ile SSM benzerlik katsayısı ve UPGMA kümeleme algoritmasıyla analiz edilmiştir. Suşlar % 83’den büyük SSM değerlerinde, 7 büyük (5 ve üzeri suş), 3 küçük (2-4 suş) ve 5 adet tek üyeli kümeden oluşan 10 agregat grup içinde toplanmış ve bu suşlar sırasıyla A. hydrophila, A. caviae ve A. sobria olarak tanımlanmışlardır. Gıdalardan elde edilen izolatların nisbi bir fenotipik aralık gösterdiği ve suş gruplarının mevcut tanımlama şemasındaki tip örnekleriyle mukayese edildiklerinde tipik olmayan profi llere sahip olduğu kanıtlanmıştır. Fenetik yaklaşımın Aeromonas türlerini tanımlamada ve sınırlandırmada gerekli bir araç olduğu açıkça görülmüştür. Farklı kaynaklardan izole edilen Aeromonas suşlarının nümerik taksonomisi, özellikle gıdalarda potansiyel patojenik Aeromonas’ların varlığını ortaya çıkarmıştırNumerical taxonomy was used to analyze phenotypic data obtained from 126 new isolates of Aeromonas strains taken from red meat, raw chicken, minced meat, and fi sh samples. Each strain was tested for 86 characters but only the fi nal data including 63 characters were analysed using the SSM coeffi cients and the UPGMA clustering algorithm. At SSM values of ≥ 83%, the strains clustered into 10 aggregate groups consisting of 7 major (5 and up strains) and 3 minor (2-4 strains), and 5 single member clusters, each of which was identifi ed as A. hydrophila, A. caviae, and A. sobria, respectively. It was proved that the food isolates showed a relative phenotypical distance and the groups of strains that had atypical profi les were compared with the type species by the present identifi cation schemes. It was clearly seen that the phenetic approach was a necessary tool to delimitate and identify the Aeromonas species. Numerical taxonomy of Aeromonas strains isolated from diff erent sources revealed the presence of potentially pathogenic Aeromonas spp., especially in food