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The aim of this paper is to integrate the quantitative content analysis methodology into the broader perspective of the social representation theory, in the attempt to illustrate the manner in which the mediated social representation of an institution can be included in an effective communication strategy.
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The world has entered a period of intense globalization, especially after the 1980s. After this process, international economic, political and cultural relationships have increased. The biggest impact of globalization on the economy has been the increase in foreign direct investments. In this study, the effects of foreign direct investment on developing country economies were tried to be analyzed by panel data analysis. Economic growth has been affected foreign direct investments in the negative direction, foreign direct investments have been affected fixed capital investments in the positive direction have been achieved by this study for the base period.
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In this study, 435 Turkish 8th grade High School Entrance Examination (LGS), Level Determination Examination (SBS), Middle Schools Selection and Placement Examination (OKS), and Transition From Elementary to Middle School (TEOG) mathematics examination questions of the years 1998-2015 are classified and compared in terms of TIMSS-2015 cognitive domains. Document analysis is used in order to collect and evaluate the data. Findings reveal that, of the items between years 1998-2015, 29% are in knowing, 58% in applying and 13% in reasoning cognitive domain. The results are discussed in the light of Turkey’s performances in the past years’ TIMSS technical reports. Due to the dramatic changes in cognitive domains of the questions year by year, it is concluded that there was no framework that is followed by the high stakes test developers concerning 8th graders in Turkey, but there must be.
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The purpose of this article is to compare two qualitative approaches that can be used in different researches: phenomenology and grounded theory. This overview is done to (1) summarize similarities and differences between these two approaches, with attention to their historical development, goals, methods, audience, and products (2) familiarize the researchers with the origins and details of these approaches in the way that they can make better matches between their research question(s) and the goals and products of the study (3) discuss a brief outline of each methodology along with their origin, essence and procedural steps undertaken (4) illustrate how the procedures of data analysis (coding), theoretical memoing and sampling are applied to systematically generate a grounded theory (5) briefly examine the major challenges for utilizing two approaches in grounded theory, the Glaserian and Straussian. As a conclusion, this overview reveals that it is essential to ensure that the method matches the research question being asked, helps the researchers determine the suitability of their applied approach and provides a continues training for the novice researchers, especially PhD or research students who lack solid knowledge and background experience in multiple research methods.
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The study analyses the possibility to measure the scale of disproportion in the development of the synthetic feature between spatial objects over a period of time on the basis of relativised values of diagnostic features. The study also proposes the construction of taxonomically relative indices of development according to the approach based on spatial median and it compares this approach with the classic approach proposed by Wydymus (2013). Both approaches are illustrated with a numerical example referring to the economic infrastructure in rural areas of the counties in Wielkopolskie Voivodeship.
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The purpose of the study is to assess the consumers’ perceived service quality levels towards national and local retailers. To reach this aim, four main hypotheses were tested. A questionnaire was formed to collect the data needed to test the hypotheses. The questionnaire was carried out to the 211 consumers who have shopped both from local and national FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) selling retailers. Convenience sampling methods was used in the study, picking voluntary costumers from either kind of retailers. The results indicate that, perceived service quality levels for national and local retailers are significantly different for Physical Aspects and Problem Solving dimensions. The results for Customer Interest and Personal Interaction dimensions were insignificant. Thus, according to the results, two hypotheses of the study were supported while two of them rejected.
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The scope of the present study is to estimate the influence of the PESTEL dimensions (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) on the tourism sector in Muğla, Turkey. For this purpose, a research has been carried out on the top managers of three, four and five-star hotels operating in Muğla, Turkey. The datum provided from 150 business top managers have been included to the analysis of the research. As a result of the analysis done, legal factors (consumer and labor law) were estimated by the participant managers as the most important whereas social factors (demographic structure of the population and cultural attitudes) were of the least importance for the development of tourism sector in Muğla, Turkey. Another result was that more educated participants gave greater importance to all these factors than their less educated counterparts.
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In the last 5 years a deluge of articles on the topic of Internet addiction (IA) has proposed many candidate symptoms as evidence of this proposed disease. We critically reviewed the current approach to the measurement and identification of this new excessive behavior syndrome. Methods: Three popular models of IA were discussed: Griffith’s components model; Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT); and the criteria by Tao et al. (2010). We selected these models because they are widely cited and propose specific criteria for IA disorder. Our approach is not meant to provide an exhaustive review, but to discuss and critique the most salient trends in the field. Results: The models of Internet addiction share some criteria, including feeling a loss of control over Internet use; ensuing psychological, social, or professional conflict or problems; and preoccupation when not using the Internet. Other criteria inconsistently mentioned include: mood management, tolerance, withdrawal, and craving/anticipation. The models studied here share the assumption that the Internet can produce a qualitative shift to a diseased state in humans. Conclusions: We critically discussed the above criteria and concluded that the evidence base is currently not strong enough to provide support for an Internet addiction disorder. Future research areas are suggested: (1) Focusing on common impaired dimensions, (2) exploring neuroimaging as a model building tool, and (3) identifying shifts in the rewarding aspects of Internet use. Given the lack of consensus on the subject of Internet addiction, a focus on problem behaviors appears warranted.
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Die Rauminformatik, die noch sehr junge Wissenschaft der ortsgebundenen Informationen, gibt es erst seit etwa dreißig Jahren. In Ungarn erschien sie in den 1980er bis 1990er Jahren und stieß sehr bald auf das Interesse der Gesellschaftswissenschaften, somit auch auf das der Archäologie. Bedenkt man, daß der überwiegende Teil der mit archäologischen Methoden zu sammelnden Informationen ortsgebunden ist, ist daran nichts Sonderbares. Ilona Valter war die erste, die bei der Untersuchung der Siedlungsgeschichte des Bodrogköz unseren derzeitigen Begriffen gemäß Rauminformatik „betrieben”, eine Umgebungsrekonstruktion angefertigt hat. Zur Zeit laufen in Ungarn mehrere Versuche, die Rauminformatik in der Archäologie anzuwenden. Ich selbst habe den Versuch unternommen, die Ergebnisse einer konkreten Ausgrabung mit Methoden der Rauminformatik und einem sich ihnen eng anschließenden Datengewinnungsverfahren, der Entfernungswahrnehmung, aufzuarbeiten. Mit Hilfe der systemimmanenten Analysemöglichkeiten erhoffte ich eine bessere Auswertung der bereits aufgetauchten Funde und Objekte sowie eine genauere Bestimmung dessen, in welchen Richtungen künftig weiterzuforschen sei. Beim Beginn meiner Arbeit standen mir die Ausgrabungsergebnisse der Jahre 1992–95 sowie eine Luftaufnahme von 1990 zur Verfügung, die unsere Forschungen im Jahre 1995 determinierte. Der als Felsőzsolca-Várdomb registrierte Fundort liegt an der Straße Miskolc-Szerencs, 200 m westlich der Abzweigung nach Arnót (Abb. 1). Der Hügel wurde bei der Verlegung einer Gasleitung gestört. Danach führten wir eine Fundrettung in diesem Gebiet durch, die etwa 1000 m2 umfaßte. Dabei wurden Siedlungsobjekte aus fünf Epochen (Neolithikum, Bronzezeit, Kaiserzeit, Früh- und Spätawarenzeit) gefunden.
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The paper object is to analyze the differences between the methods used by NGOs and civic movements, in order to influence the territorial development trends in Cracow. The text discusses methods of those, which shaped the directions of development of Cracow, on the background of the theory of life cycle of the organization.
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This paper aims to provide a typology proposal for the analysis of female candidates’ advertisement spots. The methodology is based on the results of a study about women candidates’ electoral campaigns for Latin America countries’ Government. It is clear that female candidates are placed into predetermined patterns. We can also verify that the female universe presented in the videos reflects similar stereotypes in all of the studied countries.
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The paper presents the DEA+ method as a tool for estimating the production function and the measure of technical efficiency in data points. A multi-product case is considered. Presentation of the underlying semiparametric frontier model is followed by demonstration of the very algorithm of DEA+ and a discussion of its validity. Finally, the method is illustrated with an empirical example with selected model distributions for each random variable constituting the composed error.
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The aim of this article is to describe how large-scale international comparative studies such as PISA or AHELO are often used as political tools to develop national education policies. The article discusses the limitations and possibilities for misuse of such data in reforming national educational systems. AHELO, for example, might easily become a ‘soft law’ and begin to have an influence on national higher education policies, national higher education system organisation and, ultimately, on teaching arrangements for higher education institutions. Furthermore, these large-scale assessments often – and unintentionally – promote Anglo-Eurocentrism and the colonial nature of ideas along with conceptions of ‘good learning’.
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In this study, the fundamental model of customer equity is studied and an alternative model is tested where attitudinal and behavioral customer loyalty are treated as two additional individual components of customer equity. In gathering required data, survey method is used with 377 respondents based on judgement sampling. In order to test the proposed model, a different calculation for customer equity is applied. In model testing, LISREL package program is used and structural equation modelling (SEM) is applied. Results indicate that the proposed model stating that customer equity, has two more components, namely attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty, is significant at 95% confidence level, has a high goodness of fit (GFI = .93) and has an acceptable level of root mean square error (RMSEA= .07). However, results also show a correlation between value equity and brand equity terms, which can be tested with different products or sample in future studies.
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Child-centred approaches focus on the children’s perspective and on participation. Participatory action research can be a fruitful methodology for investigating delicate topics such as child labour in migrant communities. This article presents a peer research project conducted in Rome (Italy) which actively involved a group of foreign working young people over two years and employed a variety of methodologies. Research methods will be illustrated and critically discussed, with a particular focus on the benefits for the migrant youths involved and ethical questions arising from this type of research. A brief summary of the main findings will also be provided.
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In the 2000s, PISA surveys were a real shock to the world of education. The hopes of researchers of church-affiliated schools to obtain a powerful international measurement tool via which to benchmark the performance of students and schools were very high. But, unfortunately, the public PISA databases do not reveal the types of school maintainer, and the PISA sampling is not representative regarding actually existing school sectors. There were, however, countries in every PISA wave where private schools performed better than their public counterparts even if parents’ backgrounds were taken into consideration. Recently, researchers have been connecting such phenomena to a school’s climate and/or to educational values which may indicate a new type of effectiveness based on work values and on a long-term return on investments.
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In providing a framework for interpreting the impact of PISA, this paper first outlines the main trends in the development of the social sciences, including interaction between them and the growing international cooperation. It shows how PISA embodies these tendencies, how approaches in economics, sociology and psychology appear in the program and how they are synthesized in comparative analyses to support improvements in education systems. The main part of the study reviews the effect of PISA on some major areas of educational research. It elaborates on how it has renewed the methodology for large-scale international assessments, among other things, by introducing age-based sampling, shortened time periods between assessment cycles, opportunities for improving precision by exploring one of the main assessment domains (reading, mathematics and science) in more detail in each cycle, and introducing a fourth, innovative domain. By applying a number of questionnaires on diverse themes, PISA has contributed to a better understanding of how school systems’ work and it has advanced school effectiveness research a great deal. By reinterpreting and extending the content of literacy and focusing on aspects of application, it has contributed to the emergence of a new conception of knowledge and renewed methods of framework advances. It has further developed the application of modern test theories in several respects as well as analysis and presentation technologies relating to assessment data. The last part of the paper gives an overview of criticisms surrounding the PISA process – and it outlines the spectrum of discourse, ranging from naive lay opinions to scholarly discussions among specialists from specific fields.
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Since 2000, PISA (International Student Assessment), one of the most influential international programs of the OECD, has almost revolutionized our understanding of education. Th is program offers a unique way of carrying out comparative analyses of the world’s education systems. PISA has its admirers – as well as its opponents; it was already being criticized at its initial stages and is being criticized without break now. In my study I shall summarize the critiques of the PISA methodology, for example sampling, test item developing and the Rasch method. These critiques will help us get to understand what PISA is and is not good for. Although the league table of the world’s education systems seems to be the most popular product arising, PISA offers much more too, i.e. debunking educational myths and understanding what works in depth. Hungary’s longitudinal large-scale assessment system (NABC) provides more information for an understanding of the unsettling results offered by PISA to Hungary.
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Along with disrupted speech fluency, people who stutter often develop a fear of speaking or fear of social situations that may lead to the emergence of social anxiety disorder. This has been the subject of numerous studies during recent decades, and specific questionnaires have been developed to assess relationships between stuttering and anxiety. The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering (UTBAS) Questionnaire (St Clare et al. 2009) was developed recently and has been applied to evaluate the frequency and belief in thoughts about stuttering and the degree of anxiety induced by such thoughts.The aim of our preliminary study was to test the Croatian translation of the UTBAS (UTBAS-C) on people who stutter and those who do not stutter and to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between these two groups, i.e. whether people who stutter are more socially anxious than people who do not stutter. Participants were 16 adults who stutter and 16 controls with normal fluence, aged 18-40 years. Because the results were not distributed normally, all data were analyzed with a non-parametric statistical method. The results showed a statistically significant difference between adults who stutter and those who do not. People who stutter had higher total scores on the Questionnaire, i.e. they are more socially anxious or have more negative thoughts and beliefs regarding speech-related situations than fluent adults.The results of our preliminary study are not unexpected and are consistent with most previous studies on the relationship between stuttering and anxiety. However, as there is a lack of specific instruments in the Croatian language that can be used in diagnosing adults who stutter, especially their attitudes and emotions, our translation of and further research on the UTBAS should help to fill that absence. This study should also alert clinicians working with adults who stutter of the importance and influence of attitudes and beliefs on therapy outcome.
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