Thesis Center Research Articles

Compilation of 'Suggestions' Section in Postgraduate Theses with Scientific Research Theme in Educational Sciences

This study aims to compile the suggestions in the postgraduate theses prepared with the theme of "scientific research (SR) in Turkey between 2000-2022 years. In the study, 4 sub-themes were chosen for the scientific research theme; "scientific research methods (SRM)”, "scientific research processes (SRP)", "scientific consistency (SC)", and "scientific self-efficacy, (SSE)". The data were obtained from the suggestions sections of the studies conducted for the keywords obtained by so-called sub-themes at the Higher Education National Thesis Center (HENTC). The document analysis method was used in the research. A total of 40 theses including 27 master's and 13 doctoral theses were compiled and reviewed in the study. Then the findings obtained by using the MAXQDA 18 package program were mapped as the percentage (%) and frequency (F) values. In the research, theses written for 4 different groups were investigated; teachers, pre-service teachers, middle school students, and graduate students. Accordingly, the findings were arranged according to the groups and interpreted. Accordingly, in studies on teachers, it was obtained findings about the need for in-service training to be given to teachers to be more experienced in scientific research and to conduct research on a wider scale. Secondly, in studies conducted for pre-service teachers, it was determined that updates should be made to include more scientific research in the curricula for pre-service teachers. On the other hand in the studies conducted for secondary school students, it was concluded that experiments and laboratory activities would contribute to students' learning of scientific processes. And finally, in the studies on graduate students, it was determined that there was a consensus that the hours and subjects of scientific research courses should be increased.

TÜRKİYE’DE EĞİTİM-ÖĞRETİM PROGRAMLARI İLE İLGİLİ YAPILMIŞ LİSANSÜSTÜ TEZLERİN ARAŞTIRMA EĞİLİMLERİ (2010-2022 YILLARI)

Araştırmada, Türkiye’de öğretim programları üzerine yapılmış lisansüstü tezlerin farklı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden olan içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın veri kaynağı, Yükseköğretim Kurulu Ulusal Tez Merkezi arşivinden alınmıştır. Veri toplama sürecinde doküman incelemesi tekniğinden yararlanılmıştır. Veri analizinde betimsel analiz tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırma bulgularından hareketle erişilen sonuçlarda 2010 ile 2022 yılları arsında eğitim/öğretim programına yönelik hazırlanan 231 lisansüstü teze erişilmiştir. Tezler 56 farklı üniversitede hazırlanmıştır. Konuyla ilgili olarak en fazla 2019 yılında çalışma yapılmıştır. Hazırlanan tezlerin en fazla eğitim programları ve öğretim branşına yönelik hazırlandığı görülmekle beraber tezlerin danışman unvanlarına göre en fazla Yrd. Doç. Dr./ Dr. Öğr. Üyesi unvanındakilerin tez danışmanlığı yaptığı görülmüştür.

MEASURING LOST IN HYPERMEDIA AS AN EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM

Bu çalışmanın amacı, hiper ortamda kaybolma konusunda yapılan çalışmaları, kullanılan ölçü ve metrikler ile bu sorunun ilişkilendirildiği değişkenler açısından ayrıntılı ve kapsamlı olarak incelemektir. Bu amaç kapsamında, hiper ortamda kaybolma konusunda yapılan lisansüstü tezler ile Türkiye ve yurtdışındaki çeşitli dergilerde yayınlanmış makaleler incelenerek içerik analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler ulusal tez merkezinde yayınlanmış 4 yüksek lisans ve 7 doktora tezi ve benzer derleme çalışmalarına ait kaynaklar ile SSCI tarafından dizinlenen dergilerde yer alan 30 makalenin taranması ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. İçerik analizinden elde edilen sonuçların, bu alanda çalışacak olan araştırmacılara hiper ortamda kaybolma sorununun hangi değişkenlerle ilişkilendirildiği ve nasıl ölçüldüğü konularında destek sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir. Uygulayıcılara ise kaybolma ölçümlerinde kullanabilecekleri ölçü ve metrikler konusunda yol gösterici olacağı öngörülmektedir

Analysis of the Scientific Research on Inclusive Education

This study aimed to examine the scientific research, including postgraduate theses and scientific articles related to inclusive education, carried out in Turkey in terms of some various variables. The study was designed using the document analysis technique, which is one of the qualitative research methods. The study data were collected from postgraduate theses in the Higher Education Council (CoHE) National Thesis Center and scientific articles found in the TUBITAK ULAKBIM TR-Index database. A descriptive analytic method was used to analyze the data of the study. The results revealed that the scientific research on inclusive education in Turkey is currently not at a sufficient level. A total of nine different universities published postgraduate thesis studies about inclusive education. These postgraduate theses are carried out in nine different fields of study. In particular, social studies education was found to be the field of study that examined the subject of inclusive education the most among postgraduate theses. On the other hand, it was found that the teaching activities or practices were mostly addressed in those research on inclusive education, and the sample group mostly consisted of teachers. Furthermore, the results showed that the scientific research was mostly designed using qualitative research methods, and that the interview method was mostly used as a data collection method. In light of the findings of this study, some recommendations were made to researchers.

Meta-Thematic Analysis of Constructivist Approach in the Second Level of Primary Education

Today, the primary purpose of education is to raise individuals suitable for the age, as well as the personal development of the individual. Countries are trying to reflect the human qualities required by the age to social development by renewing their education programs in line with these purposes. It is seen that many different approaches have been adopted in the historical process. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the constructivist approach adopted today at the second level of primary education. In the study, a meta-thematic analysis study was carried out on the subject by scanning the literature. In the study, in order to determine the effectiveness of the constructivist approach in the second level of primary education, 680 studies were reached in the search made with the keywords "constructivist approach, primary education second level constructivism" in the National Thesis Center and Google Scholar database. As a result of the research, many cognitive-affective domain codes related to the constructivist approach have emerged. Outputs obtained in the cognitive domain; It has various contributions such as encouraging students to come up with new products, learning by doing, enabling the application of theoretical knowledge, providing permanent learning, and transferring the acquired knowledge to different courses. Codes obtained in affective social sense; it has come to the fore as the student's interest in the lesson and learning by having fun. It was concluded that the constructivist approach showed improvement in emotional and social areas such as providing a free environment in which students can express themselves, helping each other, enjoying the discussion environment, respecting the decisions taken by their peers, acting together, thinking that the lesson is getting boring, and liking to do research. It has been concluded that the activities and the time required to implement the activities are limited, the activities are similar to each other, the difficulties experienced by the students due to their prior learning, the disagreements within the group, the lack of equal responsibility within the group and the expectation of different materials are the negativities of the constructivist approach activities.

Türkiye’de destinasyon imajı üzerine yayınlanmış olan lisansüstü tezlerin bibliyometrik analizi

Bu çalışmada, destinasyon imajı konusunda yapılmış akademik çalışmaların süreç içerisindeki gelişimlerinin incelenmesi amacıyla ilgili alandaki lisansüstü tezlerin bibliyometrik özelliklerinin ortaya konulması hedeflenmiştir. Bu amaç özelinde, Yükseköğretim Kurumu Ulusal Tez Merkezi veri tabanında yayınlanan destinasyon imajı konulu 85 lisansüstü tez; yayın yılı, türü, yayınlandığı üniversite, enstitü, anabilim dalı, danışman unvanı, araştırma yöntemi, veri toplama tekniği, örnekleme tekniği, örneklem grubu, yayın dili, sayfa sayısı ve anahtar sözcük sayısı olmak üzere birtakım bibliyometrik parametreler doğrultusunda incelenmiştir. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmış olup, veri toplama tekniği olarak içerik analizinden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırmada elde edilen verilerin analiz edilmesinde maxqda nitel veri analizi programı kullanılmıştır. Araştırma bulgularına göre destinasyon imajı konusu ile ilgili en fazla lisansüstü tezin 2020 yılında yayınlandığı, söz konusu tezlerin en fazla yüksek lisans tezi olarak Gazi Üniversitesi bünyesinde hazırlandığı, tezlerin genellikle sosyal bilimler enstitüsü, turizm işletmeciliği anabilim dalı bünyesinde Doç. Dr. unvanına sahip öğretim üyelerinin danışmanlıklarında yürütüldüğü, tezlerde sıklıkla nicel araştırma yönteminin kullanıldığı, veri toplama tekniği olarak en fazla anket tekniğinden yararlanıldığı, tezlerde kullanılan örnekleme tekniğinin çoğunlukla kolayda teknik olduğu, tezlerin örneklem grubunun genellikle turistlerden meydana geldiği ve tezlerin en fazla Türkçe dili ile 50-150 sayfa aralığında, 4 anahtar sözcük ile hazırlandığı tespit edilmiştir.

The effect of differentiated instruction approach on students’ academic achievement and attitudes: A meta-analysis study

In order to study the effect of differentiated instruction approaches on students’ academic achievement and attitudes in this meta-analysis, CoHE Thesis Center, Google Scholar, Dergi Park, Research Gate, and ERIC search engines were used to retrieve studies published in Turkey between 2010 and 2021. Out of 23 quantitative studies selected, 10 experimental and 13 quasi-experimental studies focused on students’ academic achievement and eight quantitative studies comprising three experimental and five quasi-experimental studies focused on students’ attitudes. These studies measured the pretest-posttest differences between the experimental and control groups using parametric tests such as t-test, ANOVA, and ANCOVA. The effect sizes were examined under a random-effects model, using Cohen's d and Hedges’ g indexes. According to the results, the analyses yielded a moderate effect size value of 0.791 for academic achievement and a small effect size value of 0.359 for attitude, and the overall effect size favoured the experimental group. In studies included in the analysis, the interventions lasted from 2 to 12 weeks, and the meta-regression analysis results showed that the longer the intervention duration, the more positively the academic achievement and attitude of the students are affected. However, its effect on attitude is greater than its effect on academic achievement.

Bibliometric Analysis of Graduate Theses Published in The Field Of Blockchain Technology: Council of Higher Education Thesis Center

Araştırma ile blokzincir teknolojisi alanında, Yüksek Öğretim Kurulu Tez Merkezi veritabanı’nda yayınlanmış ve erişim iznine açık olan lisansüstü tez çalışmalarının, farklı parametreler (yayın yılı, tez türü, danışman unvanı, ait oldukları üniversite, enstitü ve anabilim dalı, konu, araştırma yaklaşımı, yazım dili, anahtar kelime, sayfa sayısı, kaynak) ile bibliyometrik analizi amaçlanmaktadır. Verilerin analizinde, yüzde ve frekans değerlerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla IBM SPSS 21.0 istatistik programı kullanılmıştır. Araştırma bulguları doğrultusunda, 2018 ve 2022 tarihleri arasında 57 adet tez çalışmasının, 38 üniversite ve bu üniversitelere bağlı 10 farklı enstitü çatısı altında hazırlandığı tespit edilmiştir. Tez çalışmalarının en çok, bilgisayar mühendisliği ana bilim dalı tarafından hazırlandığı ve bunu işletme (Türkçe ve İngilizce) anabilim dallarının takip ettiği görülmüştür. Ayrıca, sosyal bilimler enstitüsü çatısı altında yayınlanan tez çalışmalarının, diğer enstitülerin yayınlarına göre sayıca daha fazla olduğu belirlenmiştir. Tez çalışmalarının sırasıyla en fazla, bilgisayar mühendisliği bilimleri-bilgisayar ve kontrol, işletme, maliye, bankacılık, ekonomi, bilim ve teknoloji, elektrik ve elektronik mühendisliği ve hukuk konularında hazırlandığı ve ağırlıklı olarak nicel araştırma yaklaşımlarının tercih edildiği bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır. Blokzincir teknolojisi konusunda, gelecekte yayın yapmak isteyen araştırmacıların, ortaya çıkan yeni uygulamalar, teorik çerçeve, sistem mimari tasarımı ve blokzincir teknolojisinin sosyal etkilerine odaklanan çalışmalar yaparak ulusal literatüre katkıda bulunmaları önerilmektedir.

METADISCOURSE MARKERS IN CONCLUDING SECTIONS OF POSTGRADUATE THESES

Bilimsel söylem, yazar ile okuyucular arasında etkileşimin gerçekleştirildiği alanlar sağlama eğilimindedir. Üstsöylem, tarafların ilişki kurup etkileşime geçmesini sağlayan araçlar setidir. Metnin tutarlığının korunmasını sağlayan, yazar ve okuyucu arasındaki etkileşime odaklanan dilsel özelliklerdir. Üstsöylem belirleyicileri ile yazarlar, metinde kendilerini yansıtarak konumlarını belirleyebilir, iletişimsel niyetlerini sergileyebilir, okuyucularını etkileyebilir ya da kaçınma ifadelerini kullanabilmektedir (Hyland, 1998b, 2005a, 2005b). Yazarın kendi duruşu ile ilgili metnin içeriğine, söylemin düzenlenişine ve okuyucuya açıkça gönderimlerde bulunduğu görünümler olarak tanımlanan (Hyland, 1998b, s. 438) üstsöylem, yazarın okuyucusu ile etkili bir iletişim kurmasını sağlamaktadır. Üstsöylem özellikle dilbilim ve (yabancı) dil öğretimi alanlarında büyük ilgi görmekte ve özellikle son dönemlerde üstsöylem ile ilgili çalışmaların giderek arttığı gözlemlenmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, dilbilim alanında yazılan lisansüstü tezlerin sonuç bölümlerinde kullanılan üstsöylem belirleyicilerini tespit etmektir. Yükseköğrenim Kurulu Başkanlığı, Ulusal Tez Merkezi’nde 2001-2021 yılları arasında dilbilim alanında Türkçe yazılmış 241 lisansüstü tez arasından orantılı örnekleme yöntemi ile seçilen 72 lisansüstü tez, çalışmanın örneklemi olarak belirlenmiştir. Çalışma nitel araştırma yöntemi ile yapılandırılmıştır. Veriler nitel veri toplama tekniklerinden belge tarama yoluyla elde edilerek Hyland (2005a)’in oluşturduğu üstsöylem modeli ile çözümlenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda üstsöylem belirleyicilerinin yüksek lisans ve doktora tezlerinde nasıl bir görünüm sergilediği tartışılmış ve yorumlanmıştır.

Telehealth applications used for self-efficacy levels of family caregivers for individuals with dementia: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

BackgroundThe effectiveness of telehealth applications for family caregivers of individuals with dementia remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate how telehealth-based interventions applied for family caregivers of individuals with dementia affect their self-efficacy levels, caregiving burden, stress, depression, and quality of life. Materials and MethodsThis was a systematic review. Screening took place between April 30 and May 5, 2022, for the scope of the past 10 years (January 2012/May 2022). The related studies were screened over ten (10) databases and search engines both in English and Turkish, including CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science, ULAKBIM, Turkish Medline, Türkiye Klinikleri, and YOK National Thesis Center. Keywords included in various medical topic titles identified upon consultation with literature review experts from a library. Methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using Critical Appraisal Checklists developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute for experimental and quasi-experimental studies. The data were synthesized by meta-analysis. ResultsTwo hundred and twelve (212) records were accessed in the databases. Of that, 12 studies (covering 1,013 caregivers) were selected for the meta-analysis. Statistically, the self-efficacy mean score was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group after the intervention (SMD: 1.08, Z= 3.12, p= 0.002). The effectiveness of telehealth-based applications for caregivers’ caregiving burden, stress, depression and quality of life –- except for self-efficacy – was evaluated. The results of the intervention and control groups were similar after the intervention (SMD: -0.17, Z= 0.82, p= 0.41; MD: -0.60, Z= 0.49, p= 0.63, SMD: -0.04, Z= 0.13, p= 0.98; SMD: 0.15, Z= 0.47, p= 0.64, respectively). ConclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis showed that telehealth applications were effective in elevating the self-efficacy levels of caregivers of individuals with dementia. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in terms of caregiving burden, stress, depression, or quality of life for caregivers.

Thematic Content Analysis of Blended Learning Studies in the Field of Mathematics Education

The goal of this research is to examine the methodological trends and outputs of blended learning studies focusing on mathematics education. Accordingly, thematic content analysis was used in the current research. Studies were screened through electronic databases which include Web of Science, SCOPUS, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), ULAKBIM (the Turkish Academic Network and Information Centre), DergiPark (JournalPark) and CoHE Thesis Center (the Council of Higher Education in Turkey). After the keywords and filters specified in the databases were searched, a total of 1299 research and 72 thesis studies were determined. Among these studies, the PRISMA method was used to select the studies to be included in the current research. At the end of all reviews, 11 articles and 4 theses were included in the current research. The results of studies emphasized that blended learning affected students' views, problem solving skills, self-regulation skills and more than half of the independent variables positively.

Thematic and Methodological Trends of Graduate Thesis in Comparative Education: A Content Analysis

In this study, it is aimed to examine the graduate theses made between 2016-2021 in Turkey in the field of comparative education. The data used in the study, which was carried out according to the qualitative research design, were reached through document analysis. Within the scope of the study, 133 graduate theses registered in the database of Higher Education Institution National Thesis Center were analyzed by using content analysis technique in line with research problems. As a result of the findings, it was determined that the most thesis in the field of comparative education was made in 2018; It was determined that Hacettepe University and Gazi University were the universities with the highest number of graduate studies. It was determined that the majority of theses were made in the department of educational sciences. It was determined that the qualitative design was widely preferred in the theses examined and the document analysis technique was mostly used in the data collection process. It was concluded that the sample/comparison criteria and comparison approach were not specified in the majority of theses. It was also concluded that while Germany, England, Finland and the USA were the countries with which the most comparisons were made, the majority of theses were made for secondary and undergraduate education levels. In the theses examined, it was concluded that higher education and teacher education were the most frequently compared topics.

Kahkaha Terapisinin Fiziksel ve Ruhsal Sağlığa Etkisi: Sistematik Derleme

Objective: Laughter yoga/therapy is a non-humorous laughter inducing exercise consisting of breathing techniques and positively changes the mood. This systematic review was conducted to determine the effects of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding laughter therapy on physical and mental health in individuals with different health conditions.
 Methods: The PICOS format was used in this systematic review. The PRISMA checklist was used for data summarization and result reporting. In this systematic review assessed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in Turkish and English in the EBSCO, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, PubMed, National Thesis Center, National Academic Network and Ulakbim data sources from January 2005 to November 2020.
 Results: This study was completed with 16 RCTs meeting the research criteria. At the end of the study, the laughter therapy was found to be effective in reducing pain, depression, stress and anxiety in individuals and increasing sleep quality. There was limited evidence for the effect of therapy on somatization, blood glucose, blood pressure, endorphin and cortisol levels.
 Conclusion: It was determined that laughter therapy can be considered as an appropriate approach for public health nurses to improve the physical and mental health of individuals and its effectiveness can be tested. Laughter therapy can be recommended by healthcare professionals working in hospitals or community centers as a non-pharmacological, simple, inexpensive and therapeutic method that they can benefit from in care.

Metaphor-Themed Studies in Social Studies Education in Turkey and Their Evaluations in Terms of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT)

The aim of the present study is to examine postgraduate theses and published articles on "analysis of metaphorically used words in discourse" in the field of social studies education in Turkey by document analysis method. Within the scope of the research, The National Thesis Center and Dergipark databases were surveyed. The survey revealed 22 completed theses and 39 published articles between the years of 2010 and 2022. First, the studies were analysed in terms of the study/publication year of the works, the universities where they were conducted, their sample/study groups, the methodological framework they were based on, their data collection tool, the expertise of the researchers and thesis advisors, and the metaphors that were the subject of the research. The works were subsequently evaluated in terms of CMT (Conceptual Metaphor Theory) and were subjected to five research questions. This evaluation revealed that the studies examined: (i) do not establish a relationship between their research findings and the theoretical framework of CMT although they view metaphors as products of conceptual thinking; (ii) do not benefit adequately from the essential references or seminal works of CMT; (iii) do not align themselves with a particular theory of metaphor or an approach, and, therefore, lack criteria for how they associate metaphor with thought; (iv) do not make explicit the criteria according to which they classified the statement of participants as metaphorical; and (v) try to reach the data suited to their research purpose with a data collection tool coded as "A is X like or as B", which is a coding scheme that is conventionally identified as a simile rather than a conceptual metaphor among CMT adherents.

An Analysis of Research on The Efficiency of Higher Education in Türkiye

The aim of this study is to present the general trend and direction of the research, both in terms of content and methodology, from a critical point of view by examining the studies on the efficiency of higher education in Türkiye and thus, to shed light on new research to be done and to make suggestions to researchers. Bibliographic analysis and descriptive content analysis methods were chosen in the research. Data was obtained from Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, Google Scholar, Sobiad, National Thesis Center of the Council of Higher Education, TR Index databases. 70 studies meeting the determined criteria are included in this study. As a result of the research, it has been concluded that there is an increase in the number of research on the efficiency of higher education institutions, and the research focused on universities, data envelopment analysis is used more as an analysis method, the number of methods used is low, the most output-oriented BCC model is preferred among the efficiency measurement models, current data are not used in research, the number of units examined is low, and state universities are examined more. In addition to that, it has been concluded that the number of personnel, financial inputs, number of students, physical resources, the unit numbers represent almost the entire input set, and the outputs used in research are basically represented by four different outputs, which are students, research, project and publication, financial variables, and academic success, and the purpose of this study is directed to different problems, but the scope of the research can be improved.

An examination of thesis made on superior talents in science education in Turkey between 2015-2022

This study aims to determine the methodical tendencies of postgraduate theses related to the education of gifted students published in the field of science education in Turkey. In the study, theses published in YÖK (Higher Education Institution) National Thesis Center between 2015 and 2022, which are available for access have been analyzed. 56 postgraduate studies were included in the analysis. As a data collection tool, the “methodical trend analysis form” developed by the researchers within the scope of the research was used. The data collected through the form were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods and presented with frequency tables. According to the research findings, the majority of the studies are graduate theses, and most publications were made in 2019. The university that has the most postgraduate studies in the field of science education is the University of İnönü. While the qualitative method is preferred in almost half of the studies, the most preferred pattern is a case study. Keywords: Gifted ability; education; methodical tendency; science; special talent; superior intelligence.

Principle of equality of arms in criminal proceedings: A systematic review of literature

Silahların eşitliği ilkesi, AİHS’in adil yargılanma ve hakkaniyete uygun yargılanma ilkelerinin bir unsurudur. Bu çalışma, ceza yargılamasında silahların eşitliği ilkesi konulu ulusal literatürdeki tez ve makalelerde ulaşılan bilgi birikiminin ve araştırma boşluklarının tespiti amacıyla yapılmıştır. Nitel araştırma stratejisi ve sistematik derleme yöntemi işe koşulmuştur. DergiPark, YÖK Tez Merkezi ve TrDizin portallarında yapılan sistematik tarama işlemi sonucunda 9 tez ve 6 makale tespit edilerek inceleme ve değerlendirmeye alınmıştır. Ulusal literatürde silahların eşitliği ilkesine yönelik ampirik çalışmanın olmadığı, mevcut çalışmaların ise normatif yaklaşımla yapıldığı gözlenmiştir. Tespit edilen çalışmaların çoğunluğunun silahların eşitliği ilkesini makro ölçekli incelediği, çok azının ise ilkenin somut görünümlerinden birisini araştırma konusu yaptığı gözlenmiştir. İçerik analizi sonucunda, ilkenin ceza yargılaması aşama ve işlemlerinde 100’e yakın somut görünümünün olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

The effect of probiotic and synbiotic use on glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AimsTo investigate the impact of probiotic/synbiotic use on glycemic control in women with gestational diabetes. MethodsWe searched the PubMed, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Dergipark, and Council of Higher Education Thesis Center databases through March 2022. Screening was performed according to the population, intervention, comparison, outcome and study type. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and meta-analyses (PRISMA-2020) statement. ResultsEight RCTs involving 551 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Probiotic use in women with gestational diabetes significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (mean difference: −1.43; 95 % CI: −2.78 to −0.09, p: 0.04) and serum insulin (mean difference: −3.66; 95 % CI: −5.04 to −2.27, p < 0.001). Moreover, the use of probiotics and synbiotics significantly reduced the HOMA-IR level compared to the control group (probiotic group: mean difference: −0.74; 95 % CI: −1.05 to −0.44, p < 0.001; synbiotic group: mean difference: −0.68; 95 % CI: −1.26 to −0.09, p: 0.02). ConclusionsThe use of probiotics in women with GDM reduced fasting plasma glucose, fasting serum insulin, and HOMA-IR levels. In addition, the use of synbiotics decreased HOMA-IR. Probiotic/synbiotic use is promising as a potential therapy to assist in glycemic control in gestational diabetes. Further high-quality studies are required to determine their safety.

Making interdisciplinary connections through music: A systematic review of studies in general schooling context in Turkey

This study aimed to systematically review the literature focusing on music integration approaches adopted in preschool to secondary education in Turkey. The relevant studies were identified through a systematic search on five databases (The National Thesis Center, TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM TR Index, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science). The paper analyzed the publications that were written in Turkish and English between 2010 and 2022 and that are available on the databases of empirical theses and peer-reviewed scientific journals, addressing music integration approaches adopted in preschool to secondary schools by using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. By operationalizing these criteria, 35 studies were included in the review. The studies included were found to tend to use quantitative methods. Music has mainly been integrated into math, science, and language arts curricula. This study revealed that most of the analyzed studies used a subservient integration style, an arts integration style, and offered limited insight into the depth and scope of subject areas covered and the sequencing of skills. Furthermore, this study proposed to consider educational, cognitive, artistic, and affective outcomes together by maintaining the integrity of each of the disciplines in music integration studies in the general schooling context.

Breastfeeding Education from the Perspective of Midwifery and Nursing Master’s Theses: The Case of Turkey

Context: It is stated that breastfeeding education has an important place in promoting and maintaining breastfeeding. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the postgraduate theses written in the last 10 years in Turkey on breastfeeding training in the field of midwifery/nursing. Methods: This systematic review was carried out considering the PRISMA criteria. The search was carried out in the National Thesis Center database of the Turkey Council of Higher Education (YÖK) using several keywords, including “Breastfeeding”, “Breastfeeding Education”, “Breastfeeding Success”, “Nursing”, and “Midwifery”. The abstracts of 251 theses, which were scanned within March 20 and April 20, 2022, were systematically examined. Then, 24 theses related to breastfeeding and breastfeeding education, which fit the purpose of the study, formed the sample of the research. Results: The theses obtained using keywords were quasi-experimental (42%) studies performed in the postnatal period. Moreover, 79% of the theses were in the field of nursing, and 63% of them were master’s theses. Additionally, 75% of the obtained theses were written in 2018 and later. Conclusions: In the studied theses, it is emphasized that breastfeeding education should be given face to face, starting from the antenatal period.