The historical background of tolerance education for blind learners in Cyprus

Tolerance, in its broadest sense, can be understood as accepting all the differences in the society. Some people in society have limitations on certain parts of their bodies or their organs, which can lead to impairment on their physical functioning. Some of these people in society who have disabilities are those who have sight impairments. In order for blind people to be able to function in society in the same manner as other individuals it is possible that they can receive a private education in a similar manner to other people with disabilities. In Cyprus, the first school for the sight impaired was established under the British administration. The institution was opened in Nicosia in 1929 under the initiative of the wife of the Governor Ronald Storss as the St. Barnabas School for Blind Children, where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots had the opportunity to be educated together. By the end of 1963, the Turkish Cypriot sight impaired children from various regions of the island were educated at St. Barnabas School for the Blind. At the school, English, Greek and Turkish teachers worked together. The main aim of the school was to educate the blind children and reintegrate them into the society. In the present study, information obtained from Blue Book and Cyprus Gazette has been supported by the information compiled from domestic and foreign publications as well as verbal sources. Consequently, it is understood that children in society who became blind for various reasons were educated at the St Barnabas School for Blind Children.

     

Technology-assisted tolerance education at elementary schools within the framework of inspector qualifications

The importance of tolerance is being seen as an essential virtue in contemporary societies and in this paper Cyprus sample was chosen as regards tolerance education. The two peoples of Cyprus with different language and religion but the same culture (Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots) thought that only politics could solve the deadlock after the 1974 war and the fact that the two peoples could be converged with education, especially tolerance education, was ignored. In this paper the intention is to approach tolerance education especially on the basis of education management for which reason inspectors are chosen as the study group. It was based on the execution of tolerance education with contemporary teaching approaches, especially in a technology-assisted manner. As a result, the research question was determined as “what is the status of technology-assisted tolerance education in elementary schools in Cyprus within the framework of inspector qualifications?” This is a qualitative research based on case study model. Participants of the study were chosen on a purposive-sampling and convenience-sampling basis. Thus, the sampling of the research consists of 20 educators (inspector, school manager, teacher and scholar) in Northern and Southern Cyprus in 2016–2017 spring semester. Ten of the educators were chosen from Northern Cyprus and the other 10 were chosen from Southern Cyprus. Data collection method used in this paper is “semi-structured interview” technique. Content analysis technique was used in the examination of the data collected in this research. A closer look at the research findings show that the opinions as regards usage of technology in tolerance education in elementary school are as follows: “preparation and usage of different materials in tolerance education”, “usage of positive examples of technology-assisted tolerance education outside Cyprus” and “including both technology and tolerance in every step of education programs”. When different opinions are taken into consideration, Greek Cypriots stated that awareness should be raised in children in environments without tolerance with technology-assisted education. Turkish Cypriots, on the other hand, emphasized that all stakeholders in education should have a technology-friend educator identity and in order to offer tolerance education their level of tolerance should be high in the first place.

     

The primary schools (<Emphasis Type="Italic">sibyans</Emphasis>) in Ottoman Cyprus during the Tanzimat <Emphasis Type="Italic">reform</Emphasis> era (1839–1878)

The nineteenth century is a century of reform for the Ottoman state. The Tanzimat reforms hold a unique place in the Ottoman history of modernization. During the Tanzimat period (1839–1878), the state underwent a restructuring process in almost all of its institutions to establish a centralized modern state and many new institutions were established. The Ottomans paid special attention to education to train the new generation required for the continuity of modernization and the centralized bureaucratic structure. While they opened modern high schools and higher education institutions, they attempted to reform the existing s?byan schools, which were the primary education institutions. This process of restructuring education was also carried out in Cyprus, which had been an Ottoman island since 1571. These attempts remained restricted to efforts to increase the number of s?byan schools in Cyprus. There was a failure to replace the religious education given at schools with a secular program, curriculum or modern education system based on education management. This situation also adversely affected the quality of education at the Rü?tiye School in Nicosia, the first and only modern secondary school of the period and which was opened in Nicosia in 1864.     

Examination of the roles of foundations on Turkish education system of Cyprus

The foundation, to be recognized as a commodity which is used for the sake of humanity, is to remove from being a special commodity and to carry on and develop as a resource that could be benefited by society eternally for people’s service. After Cyprus was received by Ottoman Empire, some foundations were installed in order that people could meet their religious and social needs. British-Ottoman defense treaty in June 4, 1878 did not mortgage in any way any either Turkish people or assets in Cyprus. Foundation commodities and Land Registry Office were under the sovereignty and supervision of Ottoman Empire. No change was foreseen on immovable properties and especially status of immovable commodities belonging to the Foundations which are under the property of Ottoman Empire through this treaty. The British Colonial Administration changed the provisions of this treaty unilaterally, and developed a series of transactions towards invading the island. It firstly intervened in Foundations, and it settled an English administrator in pious foundation management. In 1914, it changed the island to be Royalty colony, namely; it acquired the island. Thanks to the royal charter enacted in November 30, 1915, the foundations started to manage with commissioners assigned to the management and benefit from the institution in order to control the commodities of the foundation. The foundations were transformed into Government Offices in 1928, and all of the foundation immovables were left to face the threat of intervention. The Turkish Cypriot foundation commodities and foundations management were exposed to continuous interventions, thus administrative and financial power of foundation institution were weakened. As a result of the changes in law that were made by British Colonial Administration, many lands belonging to the foundations and Varosha (Mara?) Region which is the most important tourism center of Famagusta passed into the ownership of Greeks.     

“I don’t think Turkish used here is normal”: language attitudes of Turkish university students towards Cypriot Turkish

As a significant factor in social relationships, language attitudes of students are important to explore when building a school culture of tolerance. This study examines the language attitudes of university students from Turkey towards Cypriot Turkish (CT) and Standard Turkish. A mixed methods approach was adopted where 94 Turkish university students studying in the northern part of Cyprus where the two varieties are spoken, responded to a questionnaire in the first phase. The results of the analysis of this survey showed that the participants had somewhat negative attitudes towards CT. In the second phase of the study, where three focus groups were conducted, the findings of the first phase were confirmed. Intertwined with discourses of class, the participants specifically referred to “correctness” and “intelligibility” as important issues for their evaluations of CT and its speakers. CT was also perceived as an important marker of Turkish Cypriotness by the participants and was projected to be lower than any other variety of Turkish spoken in Turkey.

     

Building communities and tolerance: power,ownership and social interactions among young people in an English-medium school in Cyprus

Learning and teaching of English language in foreign contexts is usually associated with possible economic gains that it may bring. However, there are other and possibly more immediate implications of such instruction, especially on the way young people interact in schools where English is the medium of instruction. Using Bourdieu’s framework of capitals, the current study aims to explore how English language is perceived and used among young people from Turkish language backgrounds in a private school in the northern part of Cyprus where English is the medium of both instruction and communication. It also investigates whether students’ attitudes towards this language have any impact on the building of communities and tolerance when it comes to cultural diversity in and outside the classroom. Analysis of the data, which was collected through in-class ethnographic observations and informal chats with young people, showed that students who possessed a higher amount of linguistic capital in English were also perceived as popular and academically superior by all of the participants in this particular school. While linguistic abilities in English played a significant part in determining the access rights to certain peer groups, students whose first language was Turkish tended to capitalize on this skill to support each other to achieve academic success. Thus, language appeared to be a dividing factor rather than a bridge, which affected the school’s culture of tolerance negatively.

     

Testing the higher education-led growth hypothesis in a small island: an empirical investigation from a new version of the Solow growth model

This study employs a new version of the Solow Growth Model in order to investigate the higher education-led growth (HELG) hypothesis in the case of North Cyprus. Results reveal that a long-run equilibrium relationship exists between real income growth of North Cyprus and its determinants, namely capital, labor, and the higher education sector. Results show that real income growth converges to its long-term equilibrium level by 10.9 %. Granger causality tests suggest undirectional causality from higher education growth to real income growth in North Cyprus. Therefore, the HELG hypothesis can be inferred for the Turkish Cypriot economy.     

The effectiveness of technology-assisted history teaching based on peace training: The case of history of Cyprus

Changes in history education in Europe are related to the new approaches in the field of education, particularly related to the usage of technology in education. Additionally, the interest in the history of war, which originated as a result of the previous world wars, has been replaced by peace education today. This study is based on the principles of peace education and is based on an eight-week educational process that was implemented in the 2016–2017 spring semester. The study sample was 11 secondary school students who were enrolled at a private school in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus. In order to collect data during the research period, student essays, the Cyprus history attitude scale and researcher observation reports were used. Qualitative data obtained in the research were evaluated using content analysis, whereas quantitative data were evaluated with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. At the end of the study, it was determined that students expressed interest in receiving education on the history of Cyprus teaching in an environment that incorporates technology, which also reduces the necessity for memorizing details and political history, and where socio-cultural history is more prevalent. Researcher observations show that the awareness of students for peace education increased and their historical empathy and cooperative working skills were developed. However, despite such positive results, it was also discovered that there is no significant difference in quantitative terms in the attitude of students towards the history of Cyprus.     

Analysis of children’s interest in books and their reading levels depending on the education status of family

The reading rate is an important indicator of the development level of a country. The fundamental condition of being a developed country is having a sufficiently educated workforce, which, in turn, is directly related to reading abilities and habits. In modern society, which has been termed the “information age”, the fastest way to acquire knowledge is through reading. Reading habits are initially formed within the family. Subsequently, the desired reading objectives can be achieved through the positive contribution of the school and the child’s environment. A child with developed reading skills will have the targeted accumulation of knowledge and will be suitably positioned to attain success in their future education and professional lives. The ability to reach this objective easily is directly related to the guidance and encouragement of families in this regard. The results of this study indicate that there is a strong correlation between the levels of education of parents in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the reading habits that are given to children. For example, the results revealed that the children of 27 families with university and higher education levels read a total of 115 books, which is an average of 4.25 books per child on a monthly basis, whereas this figure was found to be 42 books, or an average of 1.82 in the 23 families with an education at high school level or below. The general purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between the reading habits of children and the education levels of their parents as well as the level of awareness of families in this respect. This is a qualitative study. The aim is to obtain in-depth and detailed data. The research is based on a case study, which is a qualitative research model. The examined case is that of North Cyprus.     

A comparative analysis on school attainment in Turkey and Malta: application of the Tobit model

This research provides a comparative analysis on the correlates of school attainment between Turkish and Maltese people. In the analysis, school attainment is measured by years of education. Tobit model estimates are obtained in the analyses using Eurobarometer 2004.1 data set. The results of the model demonstrate that, the effect of marriage on school attainment found to be insignificant for Malta while it is significant for Turkey. Additionally, it can be seen that females are less educated than males and income has a positive effect on school attainment in both Turkey and Malta. By providing comparative analyses, this research attempts to give insights for policy makers and professionals to improve the Turkish education system.     

A comparative cultural study of mathematics education at Northern Cyprus and Turkmenistan secondary schools

This study was aimed at investigating the opinions of secondary school supervisors about mathematics education as a cross cultural study at the secondary schools of Northern Cyprus and Turkmenistan. A semi-structured interview was used to elicit responses from three supervisors from inside of the Northern Cyprus and eight educational supervisors from province of Turkmenistan (totalling eleven participants from two countries) about mathematics education in both countries to make a cross cultural comparison. Findings of the study indicated major challenges such as short duration of the control period, ignorance about the facilities and conditions, coincidental selection of the topics and classes, teacher’s unawareness of the evaluation criteria, and incompetence of supervisors in the field of mathematical inspection. It was further found that the difference between both the countries on the matter of control of the mathematics education is not very big. The study has positive significance for Ministry and Department of Education, Education Supervisors, administrators, researchers and teachers on effectively implementing mathematics education.     

An evaluation of higher education sector to the economy

Economic sectors consider the contribution of higher education sector. The big majority of the students studying at universities in North Cyprus come from overseas and they compose a big proportion in the population of North Cyprus and they contribute to the economy of North Cyprus as well as to the others involved. According to educational economists, the main source of economic development is the quality and level of education individuals receive. The quality of education has a big effect on the socio-politic and economic structure of a community. This, obviously, indicates the importance of universities for the communities and economy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the contribution of individual education to economy and the development of the country as well as the positive contribution of the universities to the economy of the country. A case study, one of qualitative research models, was conducted in this study. As for the study group, an “intentional sampling”, a model without selection, model was used. In this process, representatives from sectors, public organizations, and organizations in economy operating in the North Cyprus were interviewed and questioned through semi-structured interview forms. The research data was analyzed through content-analysis method and the contribution of the research has been presented as suggestions for the future.     

An evaluation of class-teachers’ roles in transferring values

Besides their academic success, teachers are bound to equip learners with values and prepare them as good citizens for the society. In this respect, the aim of this study is to evaluate primary school class-teachers’ roles in transferring values to their learners. This qualitative study comprises views by inspectors, directors, subject-teachers working in ten primary schools and parents in the city of Nicosia, Cyprus. The data was collected through interviews. This research indicated that class-teachers are effective role-models with responsibilities and effect of values transferring differed according to academic priorities and personalities. While parents feel satisfied with values transfer, most inspectors, directors and subject-teachers point to deficiencies in the approach. At this point, it is suggested that teachers are trained and a target-based curriculum is designed. This study was particularly aimed at evaluating class-teachers’ roles in transferring values in primary school years, which are assumed to be the most critical period of time. In the literature, the opinions of inspectors, directors, subject-teachers and parents about value transferring are not well known. One of the aims of tolerance education is that all stakeholders in educational organizations are satisfied with the transferring values and they feel peaceful. In this study, these new perspectives will show the state of harmony in educational institutions and the different opinions about transferring values. This research is hoped to add to this issue, which was rarely dealt with in literature, for the development of applications and policies.

     

为高中留学生开启一扇化学之门

设立高中留学生班是广西华侨学校开拓华文教育的重要举措,也是把该校高中办成特色高中的有机组成部分,更是海外侨社侨团、学生家长的殷切期盼,有着重大的现实意义和深远的历史意义。文章从化学用语的引入、实验教学、趣味教学、兴趣培养、因材施教等方面来论述如何为高中留学生开启一扇化学之门。     

An evaluation of positive psychological state of educational administrators in a tolerance context

Positive psychology leads the problems with regard to subject well-being, hopefullness, motivation, hope and academic success of individuals from their birth to their death. The purpose of this study is to assess the obtained opinions regarding positive psychological state of education directors. Being a qualitative case study, the integrative single statement design was used in the study. The study group consisted of 10 administrators and 25 instructors working in state schools in Northern Cyprus during 2016–2017 academic year in this study. An interview form which was consisted of 5 questions was used in collecting data. The qualitative data analysis program NVIVO 11.0 was used during interviews for classifying and coding data. The opinions of school administrators regarding their positive psychological states was assessed and determined.

     

Teacher opinions regarding the perception management levels of school administrators

The purpose of this research is to determine the levels and use of perception management by school administrators. The study group consists of teachers working in Private Primary School and Secondary Schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in Nicosia, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the 2016–2017 academic year. The sample of the study is composed of 282 teachers representing the universe selected by the method of easy reachable case sampling. As a means of collecting data in the survey, “Personal Information Form” by Kline (An easy guide to factor analysis, Routledge, New York, 1994) and “Manager Perception Management ent Scale” developed by Uylas (Yönetici Alg? Yönetimi Ölçe?i, Türkiye Ölçme Araçlar? Dizini, 2017a, Okul Yöneticilerinin Sosyal-Duygusal E?itim Liderli?i ve Alg? Yönetimine ?li?kin Ö?retmen Görü?leri, T.C. Abant ?zzet Baysal Üniversitesi, E?itim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Bolu, 2017b) was used. The obtained data were analyzed in an analysis program. In the research, the values of perception management use levels of managers according to teacher opinions were examined. According to the results and comments obtained from the research, some of the proposals developed for researchers and educators working in the field of education management are as follows. Towards practical; trainings can be given on how school administrators can use perception management for successful perception management practices in educational organizations. In interviews to select school administrators, choosing school administrator with high perception management skills can be prioritized. Towards newstudies; including multidimensional evaluation of all elements of educational organizations such as managers, parents and servants in new researches to be conducted and comparison of teachers ‘and administrators’ views. This study has brought out suggestions that can be implemented in other stages of education.     

‘‘Peace’’ perceptions of Special Education Students in North Cyprus: a metaphorical approach

Recently, the peace education as a field has received world-wide attention from scholars, educators and policymakers. In Europe, awareness-raising activities supported by individuals and organizations has paid off and led to successful implementation of peace curriculum into education. Considerable amount of studies reveals that the peace education activities in schools contributed to the realisation of the importance of peaceful and sustainable future. However, peace education is a long neglected subject among the scholars in North Cyprus. Unfortunately, there is no single study focussing on peace education and its necessity in North Cyprus. In this regard, the aim of this study is to investigate how Special Education Students in North Cyprus perceive the concept of ‘‘peace’’. Also, the possible ways of implementing ‘peace education’ into curriculum are scrutinized. In order to fulfil the research aim, qualitative data collected from 158 Special Education teacher candidates. The findings reveal that majority of the participants believes that ‘peace education’ should be taught in schools. At this point, collected data also indicate that governmental initiatives need to be taken in order to raise awareness among students and teachers about ‘peace education’.

     

Decreasing average cost in private schools,existence of majority voting equilibrium,and a policy analysis for Turkey

The existing models of mixed public–private school systems usually capture only the decreasing average cost faced by public schools, whereas empirical studies find evidence of it for private schools as well. Motivated by this, an equilibrium model of a mixed public–private school system is studied in this paper, whereby private schools also face decreasing average cost over enrollment. In the model, households, heterogeneous with respect to exogenously specified income and child’s ability, choose among a public and a private school. Private school charges tuition whereas public school is free. Public school spending is financed by income tax revenue collected from all households and the tax rate is determined via majority voting. Achievement of a child depends on its ability and education spending. Under the assumptions on the parameters of the model, a joint lognormal distribution of income and ability, and a Cobb–Douglas utility, majority voting equilibrium is numerically shown to exist. The model is calibrated to match certain statistics from the 2013 Turkish data. Using the calibrated model, we compare the benchmark for a mixed public–private school system with a pure public school system to understand the impact of shutting down some of the private schools in Turkey following the July 15 coup attempt. We find that mean achievement and variance of achievement after high school is \(0.039\%\) higher and \(0.013\%\) lower respectively in a pure public school system.     

The comparative examination of promotion criterias of teachers in North Cyprus and Turkey as a manager and a supervisor in profession

The present study aims to examine and compare the promotion criteria of the teachers in North Cyprus and Turkey as a manager and a supervisor in their profession as well as determining its similarities and differences. Presenting the teachers’ criteria on the basis of promotion in their profession is the importance of this study. Document analysis has been used in this study in order to reach the aim. The criteria of both being a school principal and supervisor in North Cyprus and Turkey have been compared. Although it has been examined that in Turkey assigning school principals and supervisors depend on a selection based on years of teaching experience, in North Cyprus either teacher assignment or upper level assignments such as school principal and supervisor selections depend on certain rules and regulations which contain unbiased evaluation on professional portfolios and applied professional examinations set by the Public Service Commission (Kamu Hizmet Komisyonu).