High School Students In Turkey Research Articles

Associations of health literacy and sleep quality with depressive symptoms in Turkish adolescents: A descriptive cross-sectional study

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to determine the associations of health literacy and sleep quality with depressive symptoms in adolescents. Design and methodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 1081 high school students in Turkey. The data were collected online using the Health Literacy for School-Aged Children Scale, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children. The chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data obtained from the scales. ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and low health literacy was 78.4%, 70.6%, and 11.3%, respectively. Sleep problems were significantly positively correlated with depressive symptoms (OR = 4.187, 95% CI: 2.998 —5.848). The students who were experiencing sleep problems and had low health literacy were at risk of the most severe depressive symptoms (OR = 12.696, 95% CI: 5.122—31.474). ConclusionsOverall, depressive symptoms and sleep problems were common among the adolescents in the study sample. The students who had sleep problems and low health literacy were at an increased risk for depressive symptoms. Practical implicationsTo prevent mental health problems in adolescents, intervention programs focused on increasing the health literacy levels and improving sleep quality in this population are recommended.

The role of parents' attitudes towards children's use of communication technologies and school climate in coping with cyberbullying among high school students in Turkey

The role of parents' attitudes towards children's use of communication technologies and school climate in coping with cyberbullying among high school students in Turkey

Comparative Associations between Substances Used with Depression and Anxiety in a Sample of High School Students in Turkey

Objective: To explore the associations between the type and the amount of substances used with depression and anxiety symptoms by high school students. Methods: The study data was collected by the Istanbul Department of Education on 31,604 high school students which was a survey of 66 questions administered in the school setting. The primary questions and sub-questions on anxiety and depression scores were added to generate a scaled score. Specific substances used by the participants were used to explore the relationship between substance use and depression and anxiety scores by using multinomial logistic regression models. Two regression models were analyzed, one for each dependent variable, keeping the significance level at 0.05. Odds ratios were calculated to explore the association between depression and anxiety scores and specific substance use among the youth. Results: The participants with low levels of anxiety were at an increased odds of using heavy amounts of sleep pills (OR=1.6) and alcohol (OR=1.3) as compared to those without anxiety. In addition to sleep pills and alcohol, illicit substances such as LSD and inhalant use were also seen in the participants with higher levels of anxiety. The participants with low levels of depression were found to be at an increased odds of using sleep pills (OR=1.8) and alcohol (OR=1.3). In addition to this pattern of substance use, participants with higher levels of depression were also found to be heavy cocaine users, low inhalant users, heavy steroid users, and low alcohol users. A decrease in the use of homemade brews was seen in the participants with low and high levels of depression as compared to those who didn’t have any depressive symptoms. Conclusion: A unique pattern of drug and alcohol use was found in the participants experiencing varying levels of anxiety and depression.

Alexithymia, internet addiction, and cyber-victimisation among high school students in Turkey: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT Objective: The study aims to explore the interrelationships among internet addiction, cyber-victimisation, and alexithymia in high school adolescents in Turkey, emphasising the role of gender. Materials & Methods: 305 participants were surveyed via Young's Internet Addiction Test – Short Form (YIAT-SF), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Cyberbullying Scale. The influence of gender on alexithymia, particularly in identifying and describing feelings, and its effect on internet addiction and cyber-victimisation was evaluated by path analysis. Results: There was a moderate positive correlation between YIAT-SF and TAS-20 total scores (r = 0.385, p < 0.001). YIAT-SF and TAS-20 total scores were positively correlated with CVS score (r = 0.151, p = 0.008; r = 0.140, p = 0.015, respectively). The results revealed gender significantly affects alexithymia dimensions, particularly in difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) (β = 0.14, p = 0.010) and difficulty describing feelings (DDF) (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). Moreover, DDF was found to have a substantial impact on cyber-victimisation (β = 0.32, p < 0.001), and DIF significantly influenced internet addiction (β = 0.49, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of considering gender-specific factors when addressing Internet addiction and cyber-victimisation. Gender differences in alexithymic traits highlight the need for specific preventive and therapeutic approaches that focus on emotional recognition and expression skills.

The Relationship Between Extra Curricular and Student Grades

There is no consensus on the current research on the impact of extra curricular on student academic performance, with existing studies suggesting a significant positive impact [1], Some studies also suggest that there is no significant impact [2], Some studies even suggest a significant negative effect [3]. In addition to studying the impact of extra curricular on overall academic performance of students, some scholars have conducted research on the impact of extra curricular on the academic performance of different students. As Berberoglu and Tansel found, high school students in Turkey who participate in extracurricular tutoring have significantly better math and language grades, but their natural science course grades do not show a significant advantage [4]. The research results indicate that extra curricular can indeed improve students' scores and cognitive abilities to a certain extent. Through strengthened explanations in extra curricular, children can actively solve knowledge points that they do not understand in school classrooms, guide them to actively think and conduct practical exploration, consolidate their understanding of knowledge points, effectively broaden their horizons, and establish correct self-esteem. Some studies also suggest that children may lose a relaxed and enjoyable childhood due to additional after-school tutoring. And my viewpoint leans more towards the latter. Children's growth is a lifelong thing, but losing a beautiful childhood life is irreversible.

Unlocking the secrets of students’ mathematical literacy to solve mathematical problems: A systematic literature review

Mathematical literacy is the ability to use mathematical knowledge in real-life situations, making it an essential component of education because of its importance in solving everyday problems. Mathematical literacy is also part of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) global assessment. Because of the importance of the subject, this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) investigated the relationship between students’ mathematical literacy and their ability to solve mathematical problems. This SLR uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) approach was used, and articles published from January 2013 to August 2023 were obtained from databases including ERIC (342), ProQuest (1,329), and Scopus (27). Following PRISMA, a total of 20 articles were included in the review. Of the 20 articles, most were conducted on junior high school students in Turkey. The majority of reviewed studies found students to have a low level of mathematical literacy, which caused difficulties in formulating problems. The examined studies also revealed several internal and external factors affecting mathematical literacy. Problems used by PISA were the most frequently employed to measure students’ mathematical literacy in the reviewed studies.

Investigation of Intercultural Awareness Levels of Vocational High School Students in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan

In this study, it is aimed to comparatively examine the intercultural awareness levels of Turkish and Kyrgyz vocational high school students. The research was designed as a survey study based on a quantitative approach. The sample group of the research consisted of vocational high school students from Turkey and Kyrgyzstan determined by simple random technique. The data of the study were collected simultaneously from a vocational high school students in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan with the help of a scale. As a result of the research, the intercultural awareness levels of vocational high school students in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan were calculated as high. It was determined that the intercultural awareness levels of Kyrgyz vocational high school students were higher than those of Turkish vocational high school students. In the study, it was concluded that the intercultural awareness levels of Turkish and Kyrgyz vocational high school students did not differ according to the father’s profession variable. It was observed that the intercultural awareness levels of vocational high school students did not differ according to the variable of whether they had friends from a different culture. Finally, the relationship between the intercultural awareness levels of vocational high school students and their class and age levels was examined. It was determined that the intercultural awareness levels of Kyrgyz vocational high school students had a high level of positive correlation with the class.

Investigation of the Mediating Role of Sense of Coherence Between Family Harmony and Well-Being Among High School Students in Turkey

This study investigated the mediating role of sense of coherence between family harmony and well-being in high school students. The study was conducted with 405 students, 226 (55.8%) females and 179 (44.2%) males. The participants’ age ranged between 14 and 18. Data were collected through the Family Harmony Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Adolescent Well-being Scale. Structural equation modeling and Bootstrapping procedures were performed for the analyses. Results showed that family harmony predicted well-being positively. Sense of coherence predicted well-being positively. Family harmony predicted sense of coherence positively. Sense of coherence had a mediating role in the relationship between family harmony and well-being. Bootstrapping results showed that sense of coherence had a partial mediating role in the relationship between family harmony and well-being. The results were discussed in line with the literature, and recommendations were made for practitioners and researchers.

The effect of a problem-based learning model on high school students' human values

Different methods are needed in the field of vocational education to ensure that students associate the knowledge they have learned with real-life situations. Considering that problem-based learning (PBL) techniques also have important effects in the context of human values, this study aimed to investigate the effects of PBL models on high school students' human values. A mixed-method approach and expansive sequential pattern were used. Quantitative data were obtained through a quasi-experimental method that employed the Human Values Scale as a measurement tool, applied to 32 vocational and technical high school students in Turkey. In the qualitative dimension, focus group interviews were conducted with six student participants. Non-parametric statistical techniques and content analysis were performed, and results showed that there was a strong relationship between the PBL model and students’ human values; human values were positively affected and increased in all but one of the scale items. It was concluded that PBL can result in high-level learning outcomes and has a positive effect on learning and human values in general.

Students as teachers: effect of the peer education model on reducing smartphone addiction in adolescents.

The group at the highest risk of smartphone addiction is adolescents. In particular during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, factors such as conducting education online, curfew and the increase in the monotonous time spent at home have led to an increase in the use of smartphones among adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of the peer education model on reducing smartphone addiction in adolescents. The present semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group was carried out with 622 high school students in Turkey. The study was carried out between September 2021 and February 2022 in two stages. In the first stage, the peer educator education program on smartphone addiction in adolescents was implemented. In the second stage, the peer education program was implemented and monitored. While there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of the mean scores they obtained from the Smartphone Addiction Scale at the pre-test (P > 0.05), the difference between them was statistically significant at the post-test (P < 0.001). This study demonstrated that the peer education model was effective in reducing smartphone addiction in adolescents. Thus, it can be recommended that school-based peer education programs for adolescents should be prepared and implemented.

Social and psychiatric effects of Covid-19 pandemic and distance learning on high school students: A cross-sectional web-based survey

We investigated the socio-psychological effects of both the pandemic and distance learning on high school students in Turkey and Denmark. We aimed to assess whether there were any differences between students attending public or private schools in Turkey, and between two countries having different approaches to the pandemic and considerable socio-cultural and economic differences. We conducted a web-based questionnaire study in a cross-sectional design using the Survey Monkey Platform and sent it out via social media to high school students in Turkey and Denmark. The survey collected socio-demographic data, several variables associated with pandemic and distance education and their effects on social life and psychological well-being. Additionally, emotional health was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affects Schedule. We studied 565 (mean age: 16.5 ± 1.0) Turkish and 92 (mean age: 17.7 ± 1.0) Danish students, of whom the majority were female adolescents (63% vs 76%). Students educated in public (47.6%) and private high schools (52.4%) were nearly similar in number in the Turkish group, whereas in the Danish sample almost all students were from public schools (98.9%). Turkish students were significantly more likely to be compliant with the pandemic-related restrictions. Besides that, there were significant socio-economic disparities between Turkish and Danish students and also within Turkey between public and private school students. Turkish online education system was significantly less adequate and satisfactory compared to the Danish system. These were even worse for those who were attending public schools in Turkey. Regardless of the socio-economic differences, the majority of the students in both countries have been negatively affected by the pandemic and related restrictions and had a negative opinion about distance education. This was also true for the PANAS scores. The total scores of PANAS were similar between Turkish and Danish students (PA: 27.0 ± 7.6 versus 25.8 ± 5.6; NA: 24.8 ± 7.5 versus 24.5 ± 7.3) and also within Turkey between public and private school students (PA: 26.8 ± 7.5 versus 27.1 ± 7.6; NA: 24.7 ± 7.2 versus 25.0 ± 7.8). While female students were significantly more severely affected in the Turkish group, no such gender differences were observed in the Danish group. Additionally, considerable portion of the students in Turkey and Denmark expressed loneliness (55.2% vs 59.8%, p&lt;0.706), boredom (71.2% vs 58.7%, p=0.019) and anxiety towards the future (61.4% vs 22.8%, p&lt;0.001). Decreased physical activity, sleep problems, eating disorders and domestic abuse were other complaints. In conclusion, adolescents from both countries have been severely affected by the pandemic and its related restrictions and expressed negative views about distance education. Turkish online education system seemed to be less satisfactory when compared to the Danish system. Within Turkey, public school students had significantly more disadvantages compared to those attending private schools. Despite the fact that there were several socio-economic inequalities among students, in general, there were no robust significant differences regarding the psychological status and opinion about distance learning, indicating a global worsening of emotional status during the pandemic.

Investigation of Turkish Middle and High School Students’ Water Literacy as a Factor Predicting Targets for Sustainable Development Goals

This research was carried out to reveal the factors affecting the water literacy of middle and high school students in Turkey. In the study, in which a total of 155 children living in Rize of Turkey participated, the data were collected using the "Water Literacy Scale" developed by Sozcu and Turker (2020a). This measurement tool was implemented as online questionnaire. The scale consisted of three sub-dimensions, namely water saving, water consciousness, and water sensitivity, and a total of thirty items. Data analysis was performed in the SPSS program, using unrelated t and One-Way Anova tests. It was concluded that the water literacy of the children differed according to finding the news about the water crisis realistic, and having a concrete experience in reusing water in some dimensions. There was no difference between the water literacy of middle and high school students. Critical suggestions based on informal learning, including parents, were made to provide water literacy to children.

Determining Turkish high school students’ misconceptions about electric charge imbalance by using a four-tier misconception test

This study aims to determine Turkish high school students’ misconceptions about the electric charge imbalance by using a four-tier misconception test, where the main questions are accompanied by a question about the reason for the answer, as well as student declarations about their degrees of certainty. A four-tier electric charge imbalance misconception test (4-tier ECIMT) was developed by Onder-Celikkanli (2019) in the context of her dissertation. It consists of 24 questions, each consisting of four tiers. It is limited to (a) electric interactions between charged bodies, (b) electric interactions between a charged body and a neutral body, and (c) electric interactions between two neutral bodies. It was administered to 402 tenth-grade Turkish high school students in Turkey. At the end of the study, some new misconceptions were introduced to the literature. One of the most important ones is ‘the magnitude of the electric force between the two objects is independent of the relative permittivity of the medium between them’.

Developing and Examining the Effectiveness of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Psychoeducation Practice for Reducing Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Study With a Turkish Sample

This study developed a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based psychoeducation practice aimed at reducing obsessive-compulsive symptom levels in adolescents in Turkey and tested its effectiveness with a mixed-methods study. After the study was constructed as a pretest-posttest control group experimental application consisting of qualitative stages. The experimental application of the study was carried out with high school students in Turkey. In the sampling process, the schools, where the study will be carried out, were determined with the cluster sampling method. The experimental and control groups were formed with 30 students with high obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms from these schools, and the developed CBT-based psychoeducation practice was applied to the experimental group for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected through the “Child Version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory,” and normality analysis, t-test for dependent samples, and Single Factor Analysis of Covariance were used. Qualitative data of the study were collected through document review, session evaluation forms, and semi-structured interview protocol; content and descriptive analysis techniques were used in the analysis. It was concluded that the developed CBT-based psychoeducation application was an effective approach in reducing OCD symptoms in the Turkish adolescent sample, except for the neutralizing dimension. It was also determined that the findings obtained from the analysis during the application and the interviews after the application are parallel with the findings obtained by quantitative methods, and the qualitative and quantitative findings adequately explained the quantitative documents findings.

Citizenship types, social media use and speaking a foreign language as predictors of global competence

One of the main roles of schooling is equipping students with civic values and preparing them for participation in democratic societies. However, what should be taught and what kind of citizenship should be promoted are core issues in civic education, especially in the time of globalization. As several researchers stated, what kind of citizens we want to nurture and what kind of school curricula will best promote it are contentious topics among educators and policy-makers. The purpose of this article is to examine the influence of speaking a foreign language, social media use and types of citizenship on global competence. The correlational survey model was applied for the study. The participants were selected through cluster random sampling during the 2018–19 academic year. This study was implemented with 425 high-school students in Turkey. The author used the Global Citizenship Scale and ‘What Kind of Citizen’ survey. The findings showed that the number of social networks that participants engaged in was positively related to global competence. A positive attitude towards participatory citizenship was also associated with global competence. Multiple regression was conducted to determine the best linear combination of speaking a foreign language, social media use, and attitude towards participatory citizenship for predicting global competence. Test results showed that the combination of these variables significantly predicted global competence.

Social Exclusion and Tendency to Violence as Predictors of Alienation from School among High School Students in Turkey

This study was carried out to explain social exclusion and tendency to violence as predictors of alienation from school among adolescents. The sample of the study consisted of 595 students studying in different high schools. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. According to the results obtained, it was determined that the participants' levels of the tendency to violence, social exclusion, and alienation from school were not very high, and the participants were mostly socially distanced. It was determined that students' levels of the tendency to violence had positive and significant effects on “powerlessness,” “normlessness,” “meaninglessness,” and “social isolation” that are the sub-dimensions of alienation from school. Furthermore, it was determined that "Ignorance," one of the sub-dimensions of social exclusion, had positive and significant effects on all sub-dimensions other than the "social isolation" sub-dimension, one of the sub-dimensions of alienation from school, and that ignorance had a negative and significant effect on social isolation. It was determined that "exclusion," one of the sub-dimensions of social exclusion, had positive and significant effects on “powerlessness” and “social isolation,” which are among the sub-dimensions of alienation from school, however, it had no significant effects on the sub-dimensions of “normlessness” and “meaninglessness.”

E-health literacy levels of high school students in Turkey: results of a cross-sectional study.

Digital health literacy is defined as the ability to search, find, and understand health information available on electronic resources and to use the information obtained from these resources to address a health problem. This study aimed to identify the digital health literacy levels of high school students and the factors that contribute to its development. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 1250 high school students from 10 high schools. The data were collected using the descriptive characteristics form and e-Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS) for adolescents. The mean age of the students was 15.92 ± 0.95 years and 50.8% of them were girls. The mean score on the eHEALS was 27.52 ± 6.76, which was in the high digital health literacy range (eHEALS ≥ 26). The results indicated the mean digital health literacy scores were high in students who lived in a nuclear family, who understood the importance of good health, who had easy access to the Internet and who had highly educated parents with high income levels. Encouraging the development of digital health literacy through school curricula could offer opportunities for all young people to develop digital health literacy, regardless of socio-economic status or family situation.

RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF READING HABITS ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BIOLOGY COURSE

&lt;p&gt;The aim of this study is to examine whether reading habits have any effects on the academic achievement of the biology course of high school students in Turkey. In the research, the relational screening model was preferred from the quantitative research models and the phenomenological approach was preferred from the qualitative research models, so the mixed method was used. The study group consists of 266 students studying in the final year of various high schools and who took biology courses before in the province of Kars in Turkey. Data were collected by the questionnaire form prepared by the researchers. In the questionnaire, the participants were asked 12 questions in total; 4 questions to determine the variables of the type of school, education fields, gender, school report marks, 5 close-ended questions to be thought to be able to determine their reading habits, 2 open-ended questions and 1 metaphor question. Frequency and percentage values were calculated for descriptive analysis of the answers given to the questionnaire items. Chi-square analysis was used to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and the reading habits of the students, and the content analysis technique was used to analyze metaphors. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0882/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Prevalence of exposure to violence and related factors among high school students in Turkey.

Exposure to violence during childhood can have an adverse effect on health and well-being. To determine the frequency of exposure to violence among ninth-grade high school students in Kars, Turkey, and violence-related factors. Also, to examine whether frequency of exposure to violence differed with respect to school type. We included 1730 ninth-grade high school students in Kars in this cross-sectional study that used stratification and cluster sampling methods, and 2 questionnaires. The first questionnaire was used to determine the socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics of the students. The second questionnaire was the Exposure to Violence Scale. χ2 and backward logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the independent variables among potential risk factors and exposure to violence. Exposure to violence was found to have a prevalence of 65.8% among ninth-grade high school students. Binary analysis revealed that frequency of exposure to violence was differed significantly by type of high school, place of residence, type of family, and parents' occupational status. Backward logistic regression showed that type of high school and type of family were risk factors for exposure to violence. The rates of exposure to violence were high among ninth-grade high school students in Kars. Preventive, protective and ameliorating intervention steps should be taken more seriously.

Tendency towards violence and social roles: a descriptive study among high school students in Turkey

Background: Violence affects more than half of women worldwide and the perception of social roles has a significant role in this. Adolescence is a sensitive developmental period in the life of an individual. It is therefore important to understand the perception of violence and change the acceptance of violence among adolescents. Aims: To address the experiences that adolescents had with violence and its relationship with attitudes towards women. Methods: This descriptive study, comprising 2321 high school students, was conducted in Izmir, Turkey, between May and August 2015. We used a questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic information and the perceptions that adolescents have of violence. The Violence Tendency and Attitudes Towards Women Scales were applied to show the perceptions of adolescents of social roles. Results: One third of the adolescents reported that they were exposed to some kind of violence. More than half had witnessed violence against their family members, relatives, or close friends. Conservative and traditional attitudes towards women were associated with a higher tendency towards violence among adolescents. Conclusions: To end violence against women, public health actions should focus on the young population and their representation of social roles