Mehmet Karakus

Emotional intelligence and negative feelings: a gender specific moderated mediation model

This study aims to clarify the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on negative feelings (stress, anxiety, burnout and depression) in a gender specific model. Four hundred and twenty-five primary school teachers (326 males, 99 females) completed the measures of EI, stress, anxiety, burnout and depression. The multi-group analysis was performed using a structural equation approach. The moderated mediation results show that there are gender related differences in the relationships of age, emotional intelligence, stress, anxiety, burnout and depression. The results imply that school managers should take into consideration the teachers’ personal variables such as gender and age in order to assess the use of emotional intelligence in coping with negative feelings at the place of work effectively.

Teachers' Verbal Cues That Cause Students to Feel Various Emotions

Abstract This study aims to determine which statements of teachers cause the students to feel which kinds of emotions. For this purpose, a total of 122 primary school students were interviewed through a semi-structured interview form comprising of the twenty emotions in the Panas scale. According to the results, teachers’ statements including humiliation, insult, rebuke, menace and accusation cause their students to feel negative emotions. However, teachers’ statements including compliment, appreciation and encouragement cause their students to feel positive emotions. While all types of examinations cause the students to feel as interested, distressed, scared and irritable, teachers’ acts of addressing as they declare the results of the exams cause the students to feel various positive and negative emotions. While some positive statements of teachers cause the students to feel negative emotions, some negative statements cause them to feel positive emotions. Results are discussed for school psychology.

Comparison of Muscle Damage in Turkish Collegian Soccer Players after Playing Matches on Artificial and Natural Turf Fields

Abstract The researchers have attempted to compare muscle damage in soccer players after matches played on artificial and natural turf fields. The study was performed on 16 male soccer players. A match was played on an artificial turf field, and another one was played on a natural turf field.Visual analogue scale scores, myoglobin, creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase levels were measured before the match, after the match and at the 72nd hour. The 2x3 repeated measure ANOVA test was performed for statistical analysis. Comparing the artificial turf and natural turf field values, the post-match and 72nd hour visual analogue scale scores for artificial turf field were found to be statistically significant and higher than the natural turf field values. Based on these findings, the researchers claim that muscle damage is not significantly different when comparing matches played on both fields.

Cross-cultural Reliability and Validity of the Attitude towards College Instructor Authority (ACIA) Survey

Abstract The attitude towards college instructor authority (ACIA) survey was adapted to Turkish and Taiwanese languages in this study. Two samples of university students were selected randomly from Turkish and Taiwanese universities. The ACIA survey was translated to Turkish and Taiwanese languages and administered to Turkish and Taiwanese university students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, item statistics and reliability test were performed individually for both the versions and cross-cultural comparison of these two versions were made through multiple group analyses using Amos and Stats Tools Package. The results show that both the versions of this survey are reliable and valid measures. However, one-factor model presented a better fit to the data in Taiwanese sample.

Effects of Regular Moderate Exercise on Arterial Stiffness and PTX3 Protein and Some Cardiac Parameters

Abstract This study intends to show some of the effects of long-term and regular moderate exercise on arterial stiffness, Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) levels and some cardiac parameters in individuals of middle and advanced age. Twenty mountaineers and twenty sedentary individuals were subjects of this study. Each mountaineer and the individuals in the control group were measured for lipid profile, complete blood count, and underwent echocardiography, and exercise stress test. Central and peripheral pulse wave velocity was measured. The plasma Pentraxin 3 protein was assayed. Metabolic equivalent and PTX3 levels were found to be significantly higher in mountaineers, compared to the sedentary group. Femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, left ventricular end-systolic diameter and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio were found to be significantly lower in mountaineers, compared to the sedentary group (p<0.05). Long-term and regular, moderate exercise significantly decreases indicators of systemic inflammation and arterial stiffness.

Comparison of Safety and Emergency Preparedness Procedures and Policies in US and Turkish K-12 Schools *

Abstract Safety and emergency preparedness in U.S. and Turkey Kindergarten thru 12th grade public school system that are potentially applicable to other educational systems arediscussed first within the context of the laws that set the legal ground for safety issues.The main purpose of this study is to develop a clear understanding regarding issues surrounding Safety and Emergency Preparadness Procedures and Policies in the USA and Turkey. The main question of this study is how similar or dissimilar the two cases are. The similarities and differences are examined within the following contexts:1)accidents, injuries and illnesses, 2) utility problems, 3) health security, 4) mental health crisis, suicide threat, and death, 5) custody procedures, 6) fire safety procedures, 7) possession of prohibited substances (drugs etc.) and weapons, 8) searches and seizures, 9) secret organizations (Gangs etc.), 10) field Trips, 11) security personnel, 12) threats from outside the school, 13) disappearance of children, hostagetaking or kidnapping, 14) protection from inbound threats from their parents and relatives of the students, 15) physical and psychological violence towards students and teachers, and 16) traffic rules on school grounds. According to the results of content analysis, the guidelines for some safety issues are more formally structured and explained in a more detailed manner in US public schools than it is in the Turkish public schools.