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The study aims to understand the foremost challenges in the transition to online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopts the PRISMA approach to screening the selection of journal articles and review papers according to the research aims and the inclusion criteria. The journal articles and review papers were extracted and stored in Microsoft Excel and Google Scholar, Academic. Microsoft, Semantic Scholar, Elsevier, and Emerald Insight databases searched relevant documents using formulated keywords. A statistical technique was applied using the M.S. Excel analysis tool (PivotTable and an independent t-Test) to analyze data and determine the differences between teachers and students. The review revealed the evidence that the majority of the studies were primarily focused on the individual developing countries and results from other developing countries were not considered. In addition, the foremost challenges in the transition to online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic were inadequate skills and training, inadequate Internet/Infrastructure, lack of supporting resources and lack of online student engagement and feedback. Finally, the independent t-test reveals there is no statistically significant difference in challenges in the transition to online teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both teachers and students encounter similar challenges. The systematic review raised concerns that higher learning needs to effectively implement long term strategies and support teachers and students in getting into online teaching and learning.

Introduction: European societies are rapidly becoming multicultural. Cultural diversity presents new challenges and opportunities to communities that receive immigrants and migrants, and highlights the need for culturally safe healthcare. Universities share a responsibility to build a fair and equitable society by integrating cultural content in the nursing curricula. This paper aims to analyze European student nurses´ experience of learning cultural competence and of working with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Materials and methods: A phenomenological approach was selected through a qualitative research method. 7 semi-structured focus groups with 5–7 students took place at the participants' respective universities in Spain, Belgium, Turkey and Portugal. Results: 5 themes and 16 subthemes emerged from thematic analysis. Theme 1, concept of culture/cultural diversity, describes the participants' concept of culture; ethnocentricity emerged as a frequent element in the students' discourse. Theme 2, personal awareness, integrates the students' self-perception of cultural competence and their learning needs. Theme 3, impact of culture, delves on the participants' perceived impact of cultural on both nursing care and patient outcomes. Theme 4, learning cultural competence, integrates the participants' learning experiences as part of their nursing curricula, as part of other academic learning opportunities and as part of extra-academic activities. Theme 5, learning cultural competence during practice placements, addresses some important issues including witnessing unequal care, racism, prejudice and conflict, communication and language barriers, tools and resources and positive attitudes and behaviors witnesses or displayed during clinical practice. Conclusion: The participants' perceived level of cultural competence was variable. All the participants agreed that transcultural nursing content should be integrated in the nursing curricula, and suggested different strategies to improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is important to listen to the students and take their opinion into account when designing cultural teaching and learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jews of Turkey have been applying for citizenship restitution from Spain and Portugal through processes formalized in 2015. Using 29 interviews, I analyze applicant motivations and find that cultural connections play a minor role in applicant decisions. The citizenship application process did not lead to self-questioning of identity for these applicants, unlike Sephardic Jews in other contexts. The more important motivators were Jewish fears about the future of Turkey, the practical benefits of easy travel on a European Union passport, and the desire for global mobility, allowing individuals to chase prosperity wherever it may go. While Jewish fears are mostly in the background, the other two motivations were more pressing. I place these motivations in the context of changing conceptions of citizenship in Europe and the global inequality of citizenship, crystallized in a hierarchy of passports. I find that after acquiring Iberian citizenship, Jews from Turkey relate to their new citizenship solely in practical ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This review summarizes evidence pertaining to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Materials and Methods: An electronic search was conducted using four major databases--PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Using an umbrella methodology, the reference lists of relevant papers were reviewed, and citation searches were conducted. The study included articles written in English between January 2020 and March 2021 that focused on the psychological health of autistic children and adolescents. Results: All eight studies included in the final review were cross-sectional. Three of the eight studies were conducted in Italy, two in Turkey, and one study each in Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with a total of 1,407 participants. All studies used a mixture of standardized and non-standardized questionnaires to collect data. The total number of patients were 1407 at a mean age of 9.53 (SD = 2.96) years. Seven studies report gender; male 74.7% (657/880) and female 25.3% (223/880). The finding showed that behavioral issues in children and adolescents with ASD have significantly increased; 521 (51.9 percent) of the 1004 individuals with ASD presented with behavioral changes, including conduct problems, emotional problems, aggression, and hyperactivity. Some studies also found increased anxiety and difficulties managing emotions. Only one study reported clinical stabilization in children with ASD during COVID-19. Finally, 82.7% of families and caregivers of children with ASD (544 out of 658) faced challenges during COVID-19. Conclusion: Although the studies in this review suggest a general worsening of ASD children's clinical status, it remains difficult to draw definitive conclusions at this moment, with newer COVID-19 variants on the rise worldwide. During this difficult pandemic period, caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals are recommended to pay more attention to the ASD patients' health and care needs.

This research aims to reveal the differences and similarities between the countries in English listening skill, one of the four basic language skills within the scope of secondary school seventh grade English teaching programs in practice in Türkiye, Portugal and Poland in the 2021-2022 academic year. The study data were obtained by interview, document analysis and online survey application. Mixed method research design was used in the research, including both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The determination of the participants was based on voluntariness and criterion sampling methods. The opinions of six English teachers from Türkiye, two from Portugal and three from Poland, who participated voluntarily within the scope of the qualitative sample, were sought. In the quantitative sample, eighty one English teachers working at secondary school level in Salihli, Manisa, Türkiye, participated in the questionnaire prepared by the researchers. The opinions of Portuguese and Polish English teachers were taken in writing due to the distance of the countries. Descriptive and content analysis were used to analyze the data. According to the data obtained from the research, compared to the English teachers in Türkiye, Portuguese and Polish English teachers stated that they can be more comfortable and flexible in educational situations and choose their own textbooks while achieving the objectives of the English curriculum. While there are no listening tests for listening content in Türkiye during the evaluation of listening skills learning outcomes, listening tests are conducted in Portugal and Poland in order to see whether the objectives of listening skills are achieved. As a result of the interviews with the teachers, Turkish and Polish English teachers found the listening content insufficient, while Portuguese English teachers stated that the listening content was sufficient. As a result of the document analysis, it has been determined that the Polish English textbook has a richer scope compared to the Turkish and Portuguese English textbooks in terms of content and redundancy of units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online courses have become an increasingly attractive format for delivering teacher training. However, the low retention rates are a critical and still unsolved issue. This paper presents the results of a randomized controlled trial aimed at testing the impact of a personalized support model on teachers' retention in online training courses. The support consisted of a package of nine messages triggered by teachers' characteristics and their specific (in)actions on the course platform. The study involved 3,777 lower-secondary education professional and student teachers from nine European Union Member States and Turkey, who were invited to participate in four new online courses in school year 2018/2019. The experimental estimates show that the offered support increased course completion by 10 percentage points among professional teachers in EU Member States, while it had no effects among student teachers nor in Turkey. Implications for online teacher training providers--such as the importance of reaching out to participants with poor online training experience and who do not start the courses in time--are discussed.

This research aimed to study consumers' trends and the consumption of foods obtained through organic farming in two different countries, Portugal and Turkey. A questionnaire survey was used, applied through internet tools as a result of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. For the treatment of data, we used basic statistics complemented with a tree classification, aimed at evaluating the influence of sociodemographic factors on the knowledge about this type of food. The results showed that the consumption patterns are relatively similar in both countries, with many participants consuming organic foods, especially vegetables and fruits, consuming them mostly two or three meals per week. The strongest motivations to consume organic foods include benefits for human health and lower environmental impacts, while the most substantial reason not to consume is the higher price. It was also found that in both countries, people have good knowledge about the advantages of organic foods over conventional ones. Finally, the perception of the value attributed by society to organic foods was considerably higher in Portugal. These results confirm the apparent trend of making more sustainable food choices, which is motivated by the perceived negative impact of conventional agriculture on ecosystems and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economics & Administrative Sciences / Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Iktisadi ve Idari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Business Administration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aims: To determine trends in 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)‐related death rates across Australia, Finland, Portugal and Turkey and to analyse the toxicology and causes of death across countries. Design Analysis of MDMA‐related deaths extracted from a national coronial database in Australia (2001–19) and national forensic toxicology databases in Finland (2001–17), Portugal (2008–19) and Turkey (2007–17). Presentation of MDMA use and seizure data (market indicators). Setting: Australia, Finland, Portugal and Turkey. Cases All deaths in which MDMA was considered by the forensic pathologist to be contributory to death. Measurements Information collected on cause and circumstances of death, demographics and toxicology. Findings A total of 1400 MDMA‐related deaths were identified in Turkey, 507 in Australia, 100 in Finland and 45 in Portugal. The median age ranged from 24 to 27.5 years, and males represented between 81 and 94% of the deaths across countries. Standardized mortality rates significantly increased across all four countries from 2011 to 2017 during a period of increased purity and availability of MDMA. The underlying cause of death was predominantly due to drug toxicity in Australia (n = 309, 61%), Finland (n = 70, 70%) and Turkey (n = 840, 60%) and other causes in Portugal (n = 25, 56%). Minorities of all deaths across the countries were due to MDMA toxicity alone (13–25%). These deaths had a significantly higher blood MDMA concentration than multiple drug toxicity deaths in Australia, Finland and Turkey. Drugs other than MDMA commonly detected were stimulants (including cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine) (Australia 52% and Finland 61%) and alcohol (Australia 46% and Portugal 49%). In addition to MDMA toxicity, benzodiazepines (81%) and opioids (64%) were commonly identified in these deaths in Finland. In comparison, synthetic cannabinoids (15%) and cannabis (33%) were present in a minority of deaths in Turkey. Conclusions: Deaths related to 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) increased in Australia, Finland, Portugal and Turkey between 2011 and 2017. Findings show MDMA toxicity alone can be fatal, but multiple drug toxicity remains more prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]