Assessment Of Turkey Research Articles

Preservice English teachers’ views on online language assessment in Turkey

Technology has rapidly accelerated the adoption of online language assessments (OLA), presenting unique opportunities and challenges. This study explores preservice English teachers’ views on OLA in Turkish Turkey. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with 11 English preservice teachers from a state university in Turkey. The findings reveal both the advantages and disadvantages of OLA. On the positive side, preservice teachers highlighted the environmental and financial benefits of reducing paper use and operational efficiencies like automated grading and the flexibility of remote assessments. They also appreciated the enhanced learning experiences provided by multimedia and interactive elements and the innovative assessment opportunities offered by online platforms. However, significant challenges were identified, including technical and infrastructure barriers, varying levels of digital literacy, and concerns about assessment integrity and security. Psychological challenges were also prominent, with many preservice teachers experiencing increased stress and anxiety due to unfamiliarity with online formats and the pressures of adapting to new technologies. These insights underscore the need for comprehensive training and support to help preservice teachers navigate the complexities of OLA, ensuring both effective implementation and the well-being of future educators.

Using the Contrast Boundary Concentration of LST for the Earthquake Approach Assessment in Turkey, 6–8 February 2023

Land surface temperature (LST) variations and anomalies associated with tectonic plate movements have been documented before large earthquakes. In this work, we propose that spatially extended and dynamic linear zones of high temperature anomalies at the Earth’s surface coinciding with faults in the Earth’s crust may be used as a predictor of an approaching earthquake. LST contrast boundary concentration maps are suggested to be a possible indicator for analyzing temperature changes before and after seismic sequences. Here, we analyze the concentration of LST contrast boundaries estimated from Landsat 8–9 data for the East Anatolian Fault Zone in the vicinity of epicenters of the destructive earthquakes with magnitudes up to 7.8 Mw that occurred in February 2023. A spatial relationship between earthquake epicenters and the maximum concentration of LST boundaries at azimuths of 0° and 90° was found to strengthen as the earthquake approaches and weaken after it. It was found that 92% of epicenters are located at up to 5 km distance from zones of maximum LST boundary concentration. The evidence presented in this work supports the idea that LST may provide valuable information for seismic hazard assessment before large earthquakes.

Assessment of Turkey's Innovation Performance during the European Union Candidacy Period

Assessment of Turkey's Innovation Performance during the European Union Candidacy Period

HTA120 National Health Technology Assessment in Turkey After a Decade: Are Key Principles Followed?

HTA120 National Health Technology Assessment in Turkey After a Decade: Are Key Principles Followed?

Encouraging Transportation Sector Political Decision-Making through Strategic Environmental Assessment in Turkey

Sürdürülebilir kalkınma hedefine ulaşma sürecinde, ülkelerin kendi konjonktürlerine dayalı olarak yatırım odaklı sektörlere entegre edeceği çevre tabanlı enstrümanlar kilit önem taşımaktadır. Yatırım odaklı sektörler arasında yer alan ulaşım gerek faaliyet, gerek alan kullanımı olarak ele alındığında, diğer sektörlerin işleyişi ve verimliliği üzerinde önemli bir etki oluşturduğu görülmektedir. Bu nedenle, ulaşım sektörüne yönelik geliştirilen farklı alanlardaki tüm çalışmalar, yerelden ülkesel boyuta uzanan perspektifte önemli konuları desteklemektedir. 
 Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’de ulaşım sektörüne Stratejik Çevresel Değerlendirme (SÇD) uygulanmasının, planlama hiyerarşisinde politikalardan itibaren başlatılmasının gerekliliğine dikkat çekilmiştir. Bu doğrultuda, öncelikle konu özelinde yasal ve yönetsel çerçevede yer alan ilgili dokümantasyon taraması yapılarak sınırlayıcı aktörler belirlenmiştir. Ardından, mekânsal boyutu olan sektörel politikalara ve ulaşım sektörü politikalarına SÇD’nin uygulanmasına yönelik metodoloji önerisi geliştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda, Türkiye için ulaşım sektörü özelinde politikalara SÇD uygulanmasına amacıyla kapsam değerlendirmesi yapılarak, sektörel perspektifte etkin işleyiş hedefine yönelik öneriler geliştirilmiştir. 
 Anahtar Kelimeler: Çevresel Değerlendirme, Karar Verme Süreci, Ulaşım Politikaları, Ulaşım Sektörü 
 JEL Sınıflandırması: D78, G18, L91

Analyzing the Effects of Test, Student, and School Predictors on Science Achievement: An Explanatory IRT Modeling Approach

This study aimed to investigate the impact of item features (i.e., content domain), student characteristics (i.e., gender), and school variables (i.e., school type) on students’ responses to a nationwide, large-scale assessment in Turkey. The sample consisted of 7507 students who participated in the 2016 administration of the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education Exam (TPSEE, referred to as “TEOG” in Turkey). Explanatory item response modeling was used for analyzing the effects of content domain, gender, school type, and their interactions on students’ responses to the science items on the exam. Five explanatory models were constructed to examine the effects of the item, student, and school variables sequentially. Results indicated that female students were more likely to answer the items correctly than male students. Also, students from private schools performed better than students from public schools. In terms of content, the biology items appeared to be significantly easier than the physics items. All interactions between the predictors were significant except for the Gender x School Type and Content x Gender x School Type interactions. The interactions between the predictors suggested that test developers, teachers, and stakeholders should be aware of potential item-level bias occurring in the science items due to complex interactions among the items, students, and schools characteristics.

The Assessment of Turkey’s Vulnerability to Disasters and Hazards with IDB Indicator System

The aim of this study is to determine vulnerabilitiy and catascrophic indexes of the provinces of Turkey and to determine the current situation and deficiencies of these provinces against disasters and to guide the decision makers. The study was prepared with a semi-numerical method and the scope of the study was all provinces of our country. The study covers the period 2015-2017 and it has been applied to all provinces of Turkey. Prevalent Vulnerability Index (PVI) consists of 24 sub-factors and the index value is between 0 and 1. The first four provinces with the highest index average for 2015-2017 are Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Mardin and Diyarbakır. The provinces with the lowest value were Giresun, Trabzon, Artvin and Rize. In addition, 40.74% of our provinces were in the high vulnerability category, while 59.26% were in the middle index category. There were no provinces in the low index category. As a result, while it was seen that our country was not at the desired level in terms of vulnerability in the international arena, it was remarkable that in national context, the less developed regions or provinces of our country were in a worse position than the other provinces in terms of vulnerability.

An Assessment of Turkey’s Soft Power Resources in Asia: Potential and Limitations

ABSTRACT A significant part of the academic discussions on Turkey’s foreign policy includes Turkey’s soft power capacity. The Justice and Development Party has used soft power more extensively than any other previous government in the history of the Turkish Republic. Turkish soft power consists of both direct state soft power, through its diplomatic expansions, and massive non-state outreach endeavours via Turkish cultural, economic, and welfare non-state actors, as well as Turkish media and TV popularity around the world. Although Asia comes third in Turkey’s diplomatic circle, after the Balkans and Africa, it has come into policy focus as Turkey expands its trade, as well as political and cultural exchanges with the Asian continent. This paper investigates Turkey’s soft power initiatives in Asia in the form of diplomatic missions, educational foundations, entertainment, and commercial investments. This paper argues that Turkey’s soft power initiatives and public diplomatic capacity through state-managed resources are more limited and insufficient compared to its non-state resources, due to the latter’s civic nature and organic engagements.

Analyzing the environmental sustainability of primary schools’ facades within the scope of life cycle assessment in Turkey and recommendations for improvement

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the sustainability conditions of primary schools in Turkey within the scope of the life cycle assessment (LCA). It is aimed to develop optimum alternatives to reduce the environmental impact of primary schools and reach environmental sustainability targets of the sustainable development goals in Turkey.Design/methodology/approachFrom the construction project of 103 buildings located in Istanbul, 10 case buildings with various typical plans were chosen for analysis. The results regarding their life cycle energy and carbon emission for material production, operation and maintenance stages were calculated for a lifespan of 50 years. Results were evaluated and compared within the scope of environmental sustainability. Optimum alternatives for improving the environmental sustainability and performances of selected case buildings’ facades were developed, and the life cycle energy and carbon emission for proposed conditions were calculated. The obtained results were evaluated for current and proposed conditions.FindingsResults showed that reinforced concrete material contributes the most to the life cycle-embodied energy and CO2 emission of buildings. Cooling load increases the life cycle operational energy (LCOE) and CO2 emission of buildings. Using high-performance glazing significantly reduces LCOE and CO2 emission. Recycled and fiber-based materials have significant potential for reducing life cycle-embodied energy and CO2 emission.Originality/valueThis study has been developed in response to achieving sustainable development targets on public buildings in Turkey. In this regard, external walls of primary schools were analyzed within the scope of LCA and recommendations were made to contribute to the policies and regulations requested by the Government of Turkey. This study proves that alternative and novel materials have great potential for achieving sustainable public buildings. The study answers to questions about reducing the environmental impact of primary school buildings by using LCA approach with a holistic point of view.

A New Index Model Proposal for Sustainable Urbanization Assessment in Turkey

Son iki asırda Endüstri Devrimin hızlandırdığı üretim ve tüketimle doğal kaynaklar Dünya genelinde kontrolsüzce tüketilmiştir ve hala tüketilmeye devam etmektedir. Özellikle 1980’lerin sonlarından itibaren günümüze kadar hızla tükenen Dünya kaynaklarının sürdürülebilir kullanılması için yerel ve küresel ölçekte birçok girişimde bulunulmuştur. Ancak bu girişimlere rağmen son çeyrek asrın Birleşmiş Milletler sürdürülebilir kalkınma raporları incelendiğinde etkili bir sonuç alınamadığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu sebeple bu çalışmanın amacını kent planlamada etkili sürdürülebilir bir kentleşme için gerekli ilkelerin ne olduğunu bir endeks modeli üzerinden ortaya koymak oluşturmuştur. Bu endeksi oluştururken çalışma kapsamında öncelikle sürdürülebilir kentleşme üzerine derinlemesine bir literatür araştırması yapılmıştır. Ardından küresel ölçekte başarılı sürdürülebilir kent girişimleri incelenmiştir. Boşluk analizi yöntemi ile sürdürülebilir kentleşme politikalarındaki küresel eksiklikler tespit edilmiştir. Bu tespitler literatür bulguları ile birleştirilerek özellikle yerel yönetimler için sürdürülebilir kentleşme girişimlerini ölçebilecek ve bu konuda eksikliklerini ortaya koyabilecek kapsamlı bir endeks modeli oluşturulmuştur. Oluşturulan endeks İstanbul yerel yönetimleri son yıllardaki kentleşme girişimleri bağlamında sınanmıştır.

The Cost of School Dropout: Turkey Assessment in the Context of Public Revenues

Okul terki; işsizlik, ömür boyu düşük kazanç ve düşük yaşam memnuniyeti gibi bazı bireysel maliyetlere yol açmaktadır. Bu maliyetlerin yanı sıra kamu gelirleri üzerinde de olumsuz bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu çalışma, okul terkinin vergi ve parafiskal gelirler üzerindeki aşındırıcı etkisine odaklanmaktadır. Kamu gelir kaybı; (1) tüm öğrencilerin lise mezunu olmaları ve (2) tüm öğrencilerin meslek lisesi mezunu olmaları şeklinde iki senaryo kapsamında değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular; lise mezuniyeti ve meslek lisesi mezuniyeti eksikliğinden dolayı öğrenci başına sırasıyla, yıllık 284.8 dolar ve 1,837 dolar kamu gelir kaybını ortaya koymaktadır.

The Assessment of Turkey’s Lack of Resilience to Disasters and Hazards with IDB Indicator System

In recent years, resilience has emerged as a guiding principle for urban development and disaster risk management. The aim of this study, human development, economic recovery and the factors that influence to reach a high level of security at every level, Turkey is to determine the level of resistance against disasters at the national and international areas of the province.
 The study was prepared with a semi-numerical method and the scope of the study was all provinces of our country. Although the study covers 2015-2017 periods, it was applied to all provinces of our country. LRI (Lack of Resilience Index) consists of 8 sub-factors and the index value is between 0 and 1. Classification of index values was done according to international standards as follows; between 0-0.20 as low, between 0.20-0.40 as medium, between 0.40-0.80 as high and between 0,80-1,00 as very high.
 Ağrı (0.71), Şırnak (0.66), Muş (0.66) and Hakkâri (0.65) provinces were the first four provinces with the highest value according to the 2015-2017 average value of LRI and Isparta (0.38), Bolu (0.38), Izmir (0.36) and Ankara (0.32) were the lowest. Moreover, while 93.83% of our provinces were in the high index category, it was seen that 6.17% is in the middle index category and we had no provinces in the low index category.
 As a result, it was seen that our provinces had deficiencies regarding lack of resilience, especially the average and expected schooling years, per capita national income, insurance rates of buildings and houses and the number of hospital beds.

Exploring How ELT Teachers Perceive and Practice English Language Assessment

As a well-designed language education program naturally requires a well-designed assessment component, the pivotal role of assessment in language education needs to be stressed. This study focuses on how English language teaching (ELT) teachers receive training in English language assessment, and how they perceive and practice assessment in Turkey. The study was conducted with the participation of 198 ELT teachers from 24 K-12 level schools and eight universities. A mixed-methods research design was chosen and the data were collected through a questionnaire, follow-up interviews, observations, personal conversations, and sample exam evaluations. The findings indicated that the assessment practices of the teachers were shaped by the teachers’ language learning and teaching experiences, their intuition, adherence to assessment traditions, and the emulation of what other teachers conducted to conform to group norms. It was also observed that as the teachers did not receive proper pre-service and in-service assessment training, their assessment knowledge was low. Moreover, it was found that the assessment component of teacher training programs remained peripheral and did not help equip teachers with assessment-related theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Finally, the assessment quality in these schools was found to be low and assessment was taken as a formal requirement to grade students. In the final part of the paper, some suggestions for effective assessment are put forward.

Exploring How ELT Teachers Perceive and Practice English Language Assessment

As a well-designed language education program naturally requires a well-designed assessment component, the pivotal role of assessment in language education needs to be stressed. This study focuses on how English language teaching (ELT) teachers receive training in English language assessment, and how they perceive and practice assessment in Turkey. The study was conducted with the participation of 198 ELT teachers from 24 K-12 level schools and eight universities. A mixed-methods research design was chosen and the data were collected through a questionnaire, follow-up interviews, observations, personal conversations, and sample exam evaluations. The findings indicated that the assessment practices of the teachers were shaped by the teachers’ language learning and teaching experiences, their intuition, adherence to assessment traditions, and the emulation of what other teachers conducted to conform to group norms. It was also observed that as the teachers did not receive proper pre-service and in-service assessment training, their assessment knowledge was low. Moreover, it was found that the assessment component of teacher training programs remained peripheral and did not help equip teachers with assessment-related theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Finally, the assessment quality in these schools was found to be low and assessment was taken as a formal requirement to grade students. In the final part of the paper, some suggestions for effective assessment are put forward.

A Youth Centered Participatory Assessment in Turkey: Understanding refugee and host community youth’s perceptions, challenges and needs

A Youth Centered Participatory Assessment in Turkey: Understanding refugee and host community youth’s perceptions, challenges and needs

Analysis of the Phillips Curve: An Assessment of Turkey

Analysis of the Phillips Curve: An Assessment of Turkey

Aflatoxins in foodstuffs: Occurrence and risk assessment in Turkey

This study aims to determine dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and the sum of aflatoxins (AFT) for the Turkish population and assess the risks to human health related to aflatoxins. A total of 1473 results on five main food categories commercialised in Turkey in 2002–2019 were used in the risk assessment. In the adult population, the mean middle bound (MB) exposure levels were 0.433 ng kg−1 b.w. per day for AFB1 and 0.511 ng kg−1 b.w. per day for AFT. The 95th percentile dietary exposure of AFB1 and AFT was estimated at 1.19 and 1.29 ng kg−1 b.w. per day, respectively. Pistachios (44.4 %) made the highest contribution to mean AFB1 exposure in Turkish adults, followed by maize/maize flour (16.2 %), groundnuts (13.8 %), chilli (10.1 %), walnuts (4.9 %), hazelnuts (4.0 %), chocolate (3.9 %) and others (2.7 %). The margin of exposure (MOE) estimates for mean and 95th percentile exposures to AFB1 are considerably lower than 10 000, which raises a potential health concern for Turkish adults.

A novel fractional grey model applied to the environmental assessment in Turkey

This study presents a novel fractional order grey model FGM ([Formula: see text],1) obtained by extending the grey model (GM (1,1)). For this, we generalize the whitenization first-order differential equation to fractional order by using the Caputo fractional derivative of order [Formula: see text]. A real-world case study, scrutinize the economic growth influence on environmental degradation in Turkey, is performed to evaluate the significance of the projected model FGM ([Formula: see text],1) in contrast to the current classical GM. We apply autoregressive distributed lags bounds testing co-integration approach to empirically examine the long-run and short-run relation among economic growth, agriculture, forestry and fishing (AFF), electricity utilization and CO2emissions. Using the new fractional order model, all the variables are forecasted in the forthcoming years until 2030. Findings disclose that electricity utilization and economic growth (GDP) accelerate emission of CO2though in the long run agriculture, forestry, and fishing reduce the environmental pollution in Turkey.

INVITED ARTICLE: Building Journal Impact Factor Quartile into the Assessment of Academic Performance: A Case Study

This study aims to provide information about the Q Concept defined as the division of journal impact factors into quartiles based on given field categories so that the disadvantages resulting from the direct use of journal impact factors can be eliminated. While the number of "Original articles published in the Web of Science (WoS) database-indexed journals like SCI, SSCI and A&HCI" is an important indicator for research assessment in Turkey, neither the journal impact factors nor the Q Concept of these papers have been taken into account. Present study analyzes the scientific production of the Amasya University researchers in journals indexed in WoS database in the period 2014-2018 using the Q concept. The share of publications by Q category journals as well as the average citations received by the works from Amasya University were compared to the average situation in Turkey and other different countries in the world. Results indicate that the articles published by Amasya University researchers were mostly published in low impact factor journals (Q4 journals) (36.49%), in fact, only a small share of papers were published in high impact journals (14.32% in Q1 journals). The share of papers published in low impact journals by researchers from Amasya University is higher than the Turkish average and much higher than the scientific leading countries. The average citations received by papers published in Q1 journals was around six times higher than papers published in Q4 journals (8.92 vs. 1.56), thus papers published in Q1 journals received 30.02% citations despite only 14.32% of the papers was published in these journals. The share of papers published which were never cited in WoS was 27.48%, increasing from 9.68% in Q1 to almost half (48.10%) in Q4. The study concludes with some suggestions on how and where the Q Concept can be used.

Desertification risk assessment in Turkey based on environmentally sensitive areas

Turkey's many and varied landscapes face the challenge of degradation and ultimately desertification due to soil problems that include organic matter deficiency, salinity-alkalinity, compaction and erosion and the loss of biological productivity. Yet, without fully accepted indicators for the monitoring and reporting of degradation, desertification cannot be definitively confirmed at the regional or national level. Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI) was developed to identify areas vulnerable to the threat of desertification in the “MEDALUS” (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) model, which was chosen as the basis for the present study. Variables and thematic indicators such as climate, soil quality, land use, amount of plant cover and management are included in the ESAI. However, studies made at international scale are not sufficiently sensitive regarding data quality for calculations and modelling at the national scale. Therefore, aim of the present study was to i) create a modelling approach that can respond to national needs for monitoring and reporting on soil and land degradation by modifying the MEDALUS method, and ii) generate a national desertification map of Turkey by assessing environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) at the national scale using this model. Results classified more than 60% (51.5 mil. ha) of the total area as fragile and critical, while only about 12% of the Turkey’ land was indicated as area non-affected by the desertification risk. In the determination of ESAI, the parametric and spatial models were re-designed according to data and impact value by using GIS software-supported geographical analysis. With that added-on facility, MEDALUS can be automatically re-run with updated data or the change-of-influence line, and thus the change of land quality can also be monitored.