Council Of Higher Education Research Articles

Under Recognized Aspects of the Predatory Journals

We read with interest the article entitled “A Growing Threat for Academicians: Fake and Predatory Journals” by Pamukcu Gunaydin and Dogan published in your journal (Eurasian J Emerg Med 14(2): 94-6) (1). We would like to thank the authors for making a huge contribution to such an important subject of debate. Universities’ regulations for appointment or promotion to a lecturer, and the regulations for associate professor examinations issued by the Higher Education Council have pushed particularly young academicians towards publishing papers hastily. As the authors pointed, one of the greatest dangers in this process is the “predatory” journals. It is noted that predatory journals do not even comply with Basic English grammatical rules in their websites or e-mails, which should be an ominous sign for authors. Such journals also deceive readers and authors by using ostentatious titles for their names such as “American Journal of...” or “International Journal of...”. Sometimes, these journals mimic the names of prestigious journals that have been not published for a considerable time or changed their names. These predatory journals typically mimic these journals publishing in languages that are not as widely used as English, such as Spanish, Portuguese, and German (Kasmera Journal, Sylwan Journal, etc). Some predatory journals also request high fees for accessing their archives. Requesting a fee for accessing its own archives is a suspicious circumstance in itself for a journal that claims open access publishing. In the case of two separate journals using the same title, being able to access previous issues of the original journal should guide for authors to prefer the right journal. Another important property of a predatory journal is that it accepts a paper without making any suggestions for changes to it since it is usually not a peer-reviewed journal (2). This may occasionally give rise to quite funny circumstances; for instance inclusion of Turkish phrases in an issue of a journal publishing in English. While predatory journals involve such threats for young academicians, they are associated with an alternative hazard for senior academicians: editorship or membership of editorial boards. Hence, senior academicians should be cautious when accepting the requests of editorship or membership for editorial boards from such journals. Trying to take advantage of the transformation of printed journals into electronic ones, such journals may have internet sites that can suddenly vanish (3). In conclusion, academicians must be vigilant and cautious for predatory journals promising rapid reviewing and publishing for any paper. Instead of publishing in journals most of which are of Far East origin, the academicians should ideally prefer domestic journals indexed by international indexes. After inspecting the index page of a journal, the index claimed to index that journal should be accessed and this information should be verified. As of 22.06.2015, there are 363 journals indexed by the Turkish Citation Index (4). We suggest that rather than publishing in suspicious foreign journals, young academicians would better prefer these domestic journals which are also indexed in reputable international indexes.

Research Trends in Dissertations on PBL: A Content Analysis Study

Problem-based learning as an educational practice continues to have large impacts on all levels of education and across different disciplines. The aim of this study is to investigate the research trends in studies of problem-based learning (PBL) from 2002 to 2013 in Turkey. For this purpose, the master's and doctoral dissertations in the National Thesis Database of Council of Higher Education (CoHE) were selected for rigorous content analysis. The analysis was utilized to classify the type of study, the learning domains, research designs, research domains, subject groups, group sizes, and length of treatments. For analysis purposes, frequencies and percentages were calculated for each category. According to analysis results, science is the most favorable learning domain, quantitative design is more utilized as compared to qualitative and quantitative design, cognition and affect followed by cognition only are the mostly utilized research domains, subject groups are predominantly at elementary education level and secondly from teacher education, studies preferred to have a group size of 41-80, and finally the experimental treatments on PBL research last mostly 4 weeks and 6 weeks.

Evaluation of School Experience Lesson Performances of Teacher Candidates: Study For Reliability Among Evaluators

School experience lesson takes place in the beginning of pre-service teacher education process. The aim of the lesson is to inform teacher candidates about the profession for which they are candidate. At the end of school experience lesson, teacher candidates submit their application school files to application lecturers. This study aims to score the lesson forms which are rated for each student by more than one evaluator and to find a reliability coefficient between evaluators. It is a research in scanning model. Suitable sampling method was used while determining research group. Research group consists of 32 teacher candidates and 8 evaluator (lecturer) who were having education in university in 2013-2014 academic year. As data collection tool, school experience I form, which was created by council of higher education, was used. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics were determined in order to calculate Cohen Kappa and set interior correlation coefficient used in reliability coefficient in continuous data. First compliance between 2 evaluators was calculated by Cohen Kappa and then compliance among 8 evaluators (scorers) by set interior correlation coefficient. Cohen Kappa reliability coefficient, interior set reliability coefficient among multiple evaluators was found to be at medium level. At the end of the research it was observed that evaluation performed with multiple evaluators in scoring depending on observation and performance were found to be more reliable. It is suggested for similar researches that decision shall be taken by calculating the reliability coefficients among multiple scorers.

Exploring the Accounting History Research in Turkey: Publishing Patterns of Academicians

The aim of the study is to determine how much interest the accounting academicians have in the history of their field. To analyze this interest we reviewed the academic research of the accounting academicians in Turkey on accounting history. The study explores publishing patterns in Turkish accounting academicians in academic journals and the thesis submitted in Turkish Universities on accounting history. In the study we analyzed and reported the recent development of the accounting history research in Turkey in the period 2000 to 2013. In the study we implemented a content analysis for academic articles. Firstly a comprehensive literature review has been done to find the accounting history articles published by the Turkish academicians in the last decade. We found 74 accounting history articles published in national and international academic journals by the Turkish academicians. The analysis of the articles examined the patterns of authorship, the most published authors, institutional affiliations of authors, author gender, the most published journals, subject areas, and period covered by the articles. In the second part of the study is a content analysis for the master and doctoral thesis on accounting history in Turkish Universities is provided. We searched the theses in the thesis database of The Council of Higher Education of Turkey. We limited the research on accounting history thesis, and we found only 11 theses on accounting history. The analysis of the theses examined the authorship, institutions thesis submitted, advisor of the thesis, subject areas, and period covered by the theses. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4p323

Higher education between government policy and free market forces: The case of Israel

Abstract. In recent years Israel's system of higher education has undergone a revolutionary transformation, leading to a sharp rise in the number of students, establishment of new degree-granting institutions, and shifts in legislation and policy. All these have changed dramatically, arousing profound public debates centering on one major issue: how to reconcile academic freedom, as manifested in a free academic market, with the regulation of higher education. This study explores three main processes that occurred within Israel's higher education system since the reform in the early 1990s and attempts to identify their causes. The research findings show that it was the government's decision to carry out a reform, rather than free market forces that led to the considerable rise in the number of applicants for academic studies. However, free market sources were found to affect admission terms to the various departments, guided by trends of demand and supply.Key words: Public Policy, Higher Education, Israel, free market forces, regulationJEL classification: A2, I2IntroductionIsrael's system of higher education has undergone an extensive process of development since the state was established. During this time, the number of degree-granting institutions has risen, with a concurrent rise in the number of undergraduate and graduate students1 (Davidovitch & Iram, 2014).The agency responsible for promoting this system is the Council for Higher Education (CHE), headed by the Minister of Education, and most of its members are high-ranking higher education professionals. In addition, the CHE operates the Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC).In 1993 these agencies, in charge of formulating higher education policy, initiated a reform2 that for about a decade led to an extensive transformation of structured opportunities for acquiring an academic education in Israel. As a result of this reform, Israel's system of higher education changed dramatically, and since the early 1990s the universities were joined by many colleges, creating a more extensive and open framework of higher education encompassing a wide range of fields.The meteoric growth in Israel's higher education had negative impacts on the system as well, with a decrease in the quality of academic instruction and learning, cutbacks in government funding of schools and universities, and a drop in the ratio of students to senior faculty, which had been about 16 students to each senior faculty member in the mid-1990s and dropped to 25 students per senior faculty member in the first decade of the 2000s.Moreover, the entrance of foreign extensions, the establishment of nine new privately-owned institutions, and the expansion of the number of public colleges led to fierce competition, with a detrimental effect on the quality of both students and faculty. All these had a negative impact on Israel's system of higher education and aroused criticism.This criticism of the quality of higher education and of the constant budgetary crises (voiced predominantly by the universities) led the government to establish a committee that in 2007 presented its recommendations on improving higher education (Volansky, 2007).In light of these trends and effects, the current study shall attempt to analyze the justifications underlying regulation processes undertaken within Israeli higher education and to determine whether these intervention processes stemmed from a preplanned and defined government policy or whether they were simply responses to actions and failures of the free market. First, however, we shall present the basic justifications for the regulation processes undertaken towards the activities of the free market.Fundamental justifications for regulationThe fundamental justifications for regulation processes derive from the nature of the government's activities vis-a-vis the free market. Advocates of government intervention in activities of the free market offer several justifications for regulatory actions:1. …

An Investigation on In-Service Trainings of the Ministry of National Education (MONE)

It is getting difficult day by day to comply with the sweeping changes in our age. In such an age, it is necessary that teachers being responsible for educating students, follow the developments, overcome the deficiencies and bring contemporary approaches into classrooms. And this could only be achieved via well-structured in-service trainings/professional development programs. Trainings about different topics in different durations are realized for the professional development of the principals, deputy principals, teachers and school staffs by contracted institutions under the heading of “in-service training”. Aim of this study is to analyze the in-service trainings being held for elementary and secondary school teachers. For this reason, these questions are searched for an answer: “Which topics are mostly covered in elementary and secondary school teachers’ in-service trainings held by MONE?”, “In which areas were the teachers’ knowledge/skills/attitudes intended to be developed in the last 10-year-period?”, “What is the satisfaction level of teachers about these trainings?” In the research, content analysis has been carried out and the trainings are classified under 8 main categories. The research results obtained from the Council of Higher Education - Thesis Center and EBSCO, which includes school teachers’ opinions about in-service training, introduced that the in-service training quality in Turkey doesn’t meet the expectations.

Systematic Analysis of Theses in the Field of Emergency Medicine in Turkey

SUMMARYObjectivesThe aim of this study is to systematically evaluate the theses in the field of emergency medicine in Turkey and to determine whether they were published as a scientific paper.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study. Theses in the field of emergency medicine between 1998 and 2013 were browsed from the internet database of National Thesis Center (Council of Higher Education). Study type, both if it was in the field of emergency, or if it was published and the journal's scope of published studies were assessed and recorded in the study chart.Results579 theses were included in the study. 27.1% of them were published and 14.9% of them were published in SCI/SCI-E journals. Advisors of theses were emergency medicine specialists in 67.6% of theses and 493 (85.1%) of them were in the field of emergency medicine. 77.4% of theses were observational and 20.9% were experimental study. Most of the experimental studies (72.7%, n=88) were animal studies.ConclusionsIt was concluded that very few theses in the field of emergency medicine were published in journals that were indexed in SCI/SCI-E.

Curriculum reform as a driver for change in higher education: the case of South Africa

A recent proposal by the Council for Higher Education (CHE) outlines a solution to the persistently low and racially skewed completion rates in South African higher education. This involves lengthening the curricula of all qualifications through the insertion of 120 credits of ‘foundational provision’. This article provides a critique of this strategy by exploring its origins and placing South African efforts at improving student access and success in the international context. It draws on the narratives of two academics, one a top research professor and the other a foundation programme lecturer, employing the theoretical lens of Pierre Bourdieu to examine higher education as a social space or field. This analysis suggests that the power structure of higher education itself is likely to constrain the effectiveness of the CHE’s proposal and ultimately fail to shift the low and racially skewed completion rates that plague South African higher education.

Transnational Education in Turkey

The objective of this study is to glance at the status of transnational education in Turkey and analyze the country’s level of preparedness for TNE. To this end, some demographic data, financial indicators, Higher Education Council (YOK) facts and statistics and government discourse on the subject have been studied, transnationalization attempts of foundation and state universities have been analysed and academics and specialists have been consulted. As a result of this study, the findings could be summarized as Turkey is a young country with a growing appetite for university education, with around 2 million people taking the university entrance exam every year. Despite the growing demand, supply is still limited though rising. The Turkish government has a keen interest in internationalising the higher education sector and is actively seeking and promoting partnerships with foreign governments and institutions. The number of foreign students has substantially increased within the last few years and is expected to continue in the medium and long term. Although there has been a spike in interest from transnational education providers, it is still a virgin market with plenty of opportunities for early entrance of western universities. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1p227

Comparison of Secondary Education Mother Tongue Teaching Courses in the International Baccalaureate Program with the National Program in terms of Critical Thinking

AbstractThe current study has aimed to compare the objectives, content, teaching-learning process, and evaluation dimensions of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) Language A1 Course teaching program with those of the teaching programs of high school 12th grade Language and Expression and Turkish Literature courses in relation to critical thinking skills based on the opinions of students within a Turkish context. The present study adopted a qualitative research method and employed a case-study design. The study was conducted in Istanbul Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Turhan Social Sciences High School, which was the first and only state school implementing IBDP in Turkey during the fall term of the 2011-2012 school year. The study group was composed of 11 twelfth graders from this high school who participated in the IBDP and 15 twelfth graders participating in the national program. The study's data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with the students. The collected data were structured in the Nvivo 9 qualitative data analysis program and then analyzed by means of content analysis. At the end of the study, based on the students' opinions, it was concluded that although the objectives, content, learning-teaching process, and evaluation of the Language A1 Course made greater contributions to the development of students' critical thinking skills as compared to those of the Turkish Literature and Language and Expression Courses, there are several problems in implementing the IBDP in Turkey.Keywords: National program * International Baccalaureate Diploma Program * Critical thinking * Language A1 course * Turkish literature * Language and expression coursesIn the 21st century, as borders between cultures, communities, and countries are becoming increasingly nominal, intense and fast changes continue to be experienced. In a shrinking world of rapid developments in communication technologies, just as societies must be competitive in order to maintain their existence so should individuals making up societies adopt global values and attitudes. Thus, globalization profoundly affects communities and their members, urging them and their systems-including education-to change their structures and processes. In an information society, greater attention should be paid to the training of individuals able to think creatively and independently, who have self-confidence, who are able to solve problems and take risks, who know the available avenues to access to information, who can produce information, and who can easily adapt to a changing environment.As such, there is a great need for internationally influential education systems and curriculum to determine the quality and road map of the education to be given in these systems (Calik & Sezgin, 2005). By means of curricul, while national values are imparted to students, they should be encouraged to adopt an international perspective. Therefore, curriculum to be developed and implemented in one country should be able to contribute to the development of students in compliance with international standards.Among the European Union countries, the foundation of the Bologna process was laid in 1999, after which attempts were made to develop an European standardization and diploma accreditation system in higher education. These attempts have aimed to facilitate the transfer from the higher education system of one country to that of another so that the movement and employment of students and academicians will be made easier (Higher Education Council [YOK], 2009). In this direction, important developments and changes occurred in EU member countries from 1999 to 2012. These attempts were directed to the standardization and provision of higher education at an international level, requiring the adaptation of a similar approach in the primary and secondary levels of education. It is now not possible to talk about a standardization stemming from the adaptation of international perception at elementary and secondary levels among countries throughout the world. …

To Join or Not to Join, and How to Join: Higher Education as an Option in the Israeli Haredi World Today

The State of Israel is gradually increasing its efforts to integrate the ultra-Orthodox population within Israeli society both in general (in the army, in employment) and in higher education in particular. The major question arising in all systems where attempts are being made to integrate this population is whether they should be encouraged to join separate settings or existent settings, together with the rest of the population. This question is at the heart of the current article. The article suggests that policy shapers in Israeli higher education object to establishing unique institutions for the ultra-Orthodox; their integration in existing settings as well should only serve as an intermediate solution. The solution devised by the CHE (Council for Higher Education) is the platform or inn institution – a Haredi or ultra-orthodox institution of higher education operating under the academic wings and direct control of an existing and recognized academic institution. At present it seems that despite forecasts regarding the significance of providing accessibility to higher education for the ultra-Orthodox in Israel, we will probably witness a similar process to that which occurred in Israeli higher education in the 1990s, one of universalization and popularization. At first there will be a significant rise in the proportion of ultra-Orthodox joining the system and then the numbers will level out.

The Implementation and Evaluation of a Clinical Supervision Model in Teacher Education in Turkey: Is It an Effective Method?

AbstractImplementation of the standards established by the Higher Education Council (HEC) has shown great variation between universities, between departments and even between supervisors. A TUBITAK (111K162)-EVRENA project designed to develop a practice program using a Clinical Supervision Model (CSM) was conducted. The present study examines the effectiveness of CSM implementation on teacher trainee performance. An experimental model was utilized to compare the teaching performance of teacher trainees in a group that used the CSM (experimental group) and a group that used the traditional method (control group). Independent raters scored videotaped teaching performances. These scores were compared using t-tests and analysis of variance. The results indicated a significantly higher score on both the first and second videotaped teaching for the CSM group compared to that for the control group. Both groups increased their scores between the first and second video; however, a mixed model, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference in the increase in scores for each group. The experimental group had consistently higher teaching scores, and the lack of a significant difference in the increase was most likely the result of the limited time spent using the CSM.KeywordsClinical Supervision Model, Teaching Practice Program, Teaching Practice Course, Reflective Teaching Practice.Although the Clinical Supervision Model (CSM) has been applied in the United States since the 1960s (Pajak, 2002), it is a rather new concept in Turkey. The origin of the CSM dates back to the 1960s. Many have called for more clinical experience in teacher education (Krajewski & Anderson, 1980). Concomitant with this call for more clinical teacher preparation is the need for effective clinical supervision of teacher trainees (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2010). Despite its widespread global use in education, there is a dearth of research that examines the effectiveness of clinical experience in teacher education.From its inception to its current use, the CSM has been elaborated and enriched from different perspectives. Pajak (2002) classified the development of CSM into four categories: (i) Original Models, which focus on the collegial relationships between supervisors and teacher trainees, (ii) Humanistic/Artistic Models, which emphasize idiosyncratic teaching experiences, (Hi) Technical/Didactic Models, which underline observation techniques and feedback, and (iv) Developmental/Reflective Models, which focus on context-specific practices and reflective feedback among supervisors, teacher trainers (TT) and cooperating teachers (CT).Other Supervision Models Implemented in Teacher EducationBased on an extensive literature review, Gebhard (1984, pp. 502-509) listed five models of supervision for pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, which allow teacher educators a variety of options. The five models are: (i) Directive, where the teacher or the trainee is directed and briefed, the desired instructional behaviors are modelled, and the teacher's skills are evaluated based on the pre-defined and enacted behavior by the supervisor; (ii) Alternative, where the supervisor offers a number of alternative suggestions to the trainee for the actions to be taken without any subjective prescriptions. This way, the trainee still has the authority to make decisions; (Hi) Collaborative, where the supervisor works with the supervisee, but does not direct him, by a sharing and effective communication. First, an issue is posed in the teaching context, and the parties work together on the definition, examination and the implementation stages; (iv) Nondirective, where the supervisors' role is to offer a listening ear to the trainees and recapitulate their statements to foster more individualistic choices by the trainees; and (v) Creative, where an eclectic approach to supervision is exercised by combining supervisory behaviors and responsibilities from previous models and insights from other disciplines. …

The evolution of public colleges in Israel

The establishment of a multi-campus university in the Galilee would primarily assist the smaller colleges that have relatively small enrolment numbers, and lack the wherewithal to create a critical mass of staff and resources. The proposal fell victim to power struggles between the Planning and Budgets Committee and other branches of the Council of Higher Education. Or perhaps the concept of a ‘university’ stirred anxiety among Council members, most of whom have vested interests in the universities where they work. The fact is that a good plan that would have contributed to higher education in the north and upgraded the region's academic colleges was tossed off the Council's agenda without its advocates being called for a serious discussion.

THE NEW NURSING QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

The impetus for the restructuring of higher education in South Africa was political rather than educational in nature and gained momentum since the democratization of the country in 1994. The main purpose was the transformation of education and to increase accessibility to higher education opportunities for those who were previously disadvantaged and marginalised in terms of career progression. The emphasis on recognition of prior learning (RPL) to provide access to career progression was a further strategy to support the underlying principle of a national qualification framework which allowed for articulation between qualifications and provided individuals with upward mobility. The Council for Higher Education (CHE), in its ten-year review of the restructuring process, concluded that the transformation of higher education was “highly complex, consisting of a set of unfolding discourses of policy formulation, adoption and implementation that are replete with paradoxes and tensions, contestations and social dilemmas.” (CHE, 2004: 234). Based on this conclusion, it can safely be assumed that the changes in the higher education domain seen over the past years will continue in the future. The higher education scene is flexible and dynamic and adhering to policies and structures and complying with norms and standards poses continuous challenges for providers of education, including the nursing profession. The purpose of this chapter was to give a brief overview of the progression of nursing education over two decades, illustrating how nursing programmes evolved to meet the needs of the community, as well as complying with the quality standards and higher education criteria for acceptability and registration.

Linking Universities to the Target Market via Web Sites: A Content Analysis of Turkish Private Universities’ Web Sites

Internet is becoming more and more important in business. It has many advantages such as reducing marketing costs and extending target group easier. Universities, which lead the scientific developments in a society, can also benefit from the Internet. Universities have different characteristics and audiences compared to corporations. With the new generation, Web sites become more crucial in order to meet and convince prospective students, who grew up with the Internet. From this point of view, Web sites should be up-to-date, fast, interactive and user friendly.The purpose of this study is to explore the current content information of the Turkish Private Universities’ (TPUs) Web sites. By July 2013, there are 71 TPUs, but only 61 of them have an avaliable Web site (The Council of Higher Education, 2013). The scale to assess content of the Web sites consists of 41 items and they are divided into 4 groups based on their target audience: (1) students/prospective students, (2) employees/prospective employees, (3) external stakeholders and (4) media. According to the findings, the arithmetic mean of items for students/prospective students is moderately high with 58 percent score, employees/prospective employees is moderately high with 57 percent score, external stakeholders is moderate with 50.49 percent score and media is high with 81.42 percent score.

Happiness among first-year students at a comprehensive tertiary institution: An exploratory study

The 1970s saw a significant increase in the volume of research on individuals’ subjective experience of well-being. The subjective well-being of university students has received less attention, however. Student well-being is important, given the widespread concern over the high dropout rates at institutions of higher learning in South Africa (Council of Higher Education, 2013; Van Zyl, 2010). The paper adds to the existing body of literature through an exposition on the possible influence of variables forthcoming from the literature, on the overall subjective well-being of first-year economics students at a comprehensive university. Variables that displayed a significant and positive contribution to subjective well-being were first-year and extended-degree students, the university being the institution of choice, feeling at home, knowing exactly how the university functions, and watching or participating in sport. Variables that were found to be significant with a negative contribution to subjective well-being levels were: worries about tests, studying less than 10 hours per week and, interestingly, living on campus.

Kerala State Higher Education Council

Kerala State Higher Education Council

HIGHER EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAMME QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Study programme quality assessment provides higher education quality which in its turn is an essential precondition for the successfulnational economy development. At the moment the society has a lot of discussion about what is higher education qualityand how to assess it. The pragmatic approach makes us set criteria for study programme quality assessment. However, before doingthat one must understand what higher education quality is. Developing over the years, higher education has created different qualityunderstandings. The different quality understandings form the necessity of different quality assessment approaches. As the foundationof higher education quality assessment to create the methodological basis there are taken higher education quality assessmentconceptions distinguished by R. Barnett: objective, subjective and development. Each of the conceptions intends to use differentapproaches for higher education assessment. The research approbates the usage of The Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) method todetect the most significant study programme quality criteria and the most suitable way of assessment for them. AHP method is basedon expert surveys, which were taken part by two most important interest groups interested in higher education: higher educationadministrative staff and students. Higher education administrators are represented by Higher Education Council representative, LUheads of administrative departments and leadership staff who are responsible for study quality and programme accreditation. In theirturn, students are represented by members of Latvian Student Association, LU student council representatives and students fromdifferent LU faculties.KEY WORDS: study programme quality, quality assessment methodology, assessment criteria, approaches for quality assessment,the Analytic Hierarchy Process method.

Türkiye’de Fizyoterapi ve rehabilitasyon fakülte bölümü/yüksekokullarinin incelenmesi ve müfredat analizi

To investigate the physiotherapy and rehabilitation faculty department/schools in Turkey and analyze their curriculums. The faculty department/schools that are giving the education in the physiotherapy and rehabilitation field of science were determined from the websites of ‘The Council of Higher Education’ and ‘Turkish Republic Student Selection and Placement Center’. The establishment dates, quotas, graduations, curriculums and instructors of these department/ schools were analyzed. Fifty-six university [32 government (%57.14), 24 foundation (%42.85)] in physiotherapy and rehabilitation field of science were determined according to the 2012 records. Thirty-seven (%66.07) universities and 2556 students have started the education and student quota was aproximately 64.86±19.62 people. Twenty-five (%67.5) of 37 faculty department/ school’s curriculum were available on website. Means of total course credits was 184.74±26.38, number of courses was 81.96±20.86 and hours was 245.08±43.64. Means of total number of professional courses, credits and hours were, respectively, 35.48±6.66, 88.18±15.68 and 161.60±30.01. A total of 191 lecturers were found to exist in faculty department/ schools and 148 (%77.48) of them were physiotherapists. It was determined that the number of physiotherapist lecturers per faculty department/schools was 4.54±6.18. Insufficient number of physiotherapist lecturers caused the problem to open quotas and give education after graduation in some faculty department/schools. When the numbers and hours of the professional courses are considered, the necessity of physiotherapist lecturers in the opening of physiotherapy and rehabilitation faculty department/schools is determined. It must be indicated that curriculums should be standardized and websites should be updated.

English language teacher education in Turkey: policy vs academic standards

This qualitative study examines curriculum frameworks in English language teacher education (ELTE) programs in Turkey in light of current second language (L2) teaching standards and research vs Turkey's Higher Education Council (HEC) mandates. It also investigates program directors' perceptions about the current situations of their programs with regards to those standards and mandates. Data include eight ELTE curricula (including both private and public and low and high-ranking schools), interviews with eight program directors, student admission test scores, and teacher education standard manuals. Results suggest that while the overwhelming majority of the programs offer a homogeneous curriculum with a similar number of credit-hour allocation and weighted coverage for each competency area in the curriculum, compared to international education standards for teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL), these programs seem to exhibit several noticeable weaknesses concerning the language, culture, instruction, assessment and professionalism domains. In addition, program directors express concern with how adherence to mandates has restricted the quality of their teacher education programs.