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on Central and Western Asia |
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Issue of 2015‒06‒13
fourteen papers chosen by Christian Zimmermann Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |
| By: | Memet Abukan (Mu) |
| Abstract: | The discourses with respect to the language policies of the country, which were mentioned in the Tanzimat era, but were expressed more seriously in the Constitutional Period, constitute one of the main agenda topics of the new state as of the establishment of the Turkish Republic. Therefore, in the period subsequent to the establishment of the Republic, a new culture of literature and language is formed during the construction period of nation-state. The Republican Turkey established as the remainder of an empire brings along a literature and language policy in accordance with the principles of the new state. A literary society, which is referred to also as the literature of the Ataturk period, gives a new acceleration to the pre-republican language simplification movements in this period. The language simplification movement framed especially in the article of Ömer Seyfettin called “Yeni Lisan” (“New Language”) has been applied after this period. The insight in the article “Yeni Lisan” is reflected on the textbooks in line with the language simplification movements. In this study, the language in the Turkish textbook of 1930s aims at an analysis for following the track of the language simplification movements. To this end, the 1st grade, 2nd grade and 3rd grade Textbooks of the Secondary School Textbooks of 1938 will be examined in terms of language policy. |
| Keywords: | Language policy, Turkish Textbooks, New Language. |
| JEL: | I28 I29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2404266&r=cwa |
| By: | Cilasun, Seyit Mumin; Acar, Elif Oznur; Gunalp, Burak |
| Abstract: | The global economic crisis of 2008 had great repercussions on labor markets around the world. In order to mitigate the adverse effects of the crisis on employment, Turkey introduced a number of measures in the last quarter of 2008 and during the first half of 2009, such as a general reduction of social security contributions, targeted reductions for hiring youth and women, an increase in unemployment insurance payments and a more active use of the short-time working compensation program. Using the Income and Living Conditions Survey panel data for 2006-2010, this study aims at examining the role of labor market reforms in shaping the labor market performance in Turkey. To this end, we compute the Markov transition probabilities of individuals moving across three different labor market states: employment, unemployment and not in labor force. The results of the study reveal that the policy measures, in general, helped in alleviating the adverse effects of the crisis on the Turkish labor markets. The measures specifically targeting youth and women were effective in promoting the employment of these disadvantaged groups, the beneficial effects being more pronounced for women. However, the results show that after the coverage of these measures was broadened to include all workers, the advantage of young and female workers disappeared. Finally, the transition probabilities calculated for different education groups reveal that the probability of remaining in employment increases significantly with education. |
| Keywords: | Labor market reforms, Markov transition analysis, Turkish labor market |
| JEL: | J08 J16 J60 |
| Date: | 2015–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:64767&r=cwa |
| By: | Orman, Cüneyt; Bülent, Köksal |
| Abstract: | We investigate if and when the leading theories of debt maturity are useful in understanding the maturity choices of nonfinancial firms in a major developing economy, Turkey. Unlike most research, we use a dataset that provides financial information on not only large, publicly-traded firms but also small, privately-held firms across a wide variety of industries. Our strongest finding is that firms that have high leverage also have long maturity. Size, asset maturity, and credit quality are also important, although results depend on the type of firm group considered. The stability of the economic environment as measured by inflation and interest rate volatility also influences debt maturity decisions. Our findings are broadly consistent with the liquidity risk theory. The agency theory is also partially useful in understanding firms' maturity decisions, particularly for medium- and large-sized firms. The signaling theory is most useful when the sample consists of large, publicly-traded firms. We find little evidence that taxes matter for maturity decisions. Our findings also provide some evidence that borrower-lender relationships might influence debt maturity structures. |
| Keywords: | Debt maturity structure, nonfinancial firms, Turkey |
| JEL: | G3 G32 |
| Date: | 2015–06–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:64860&r=cwa |
| By: | Ahmet Naci ÇOKLAR (Necmettin Erbakan University); Erkan EF (Necmettin Erbakan University); Levent SAH (Anadolu University); Arif AKÇAY (Kastamonu University) |
| Abstract: | This research aims to determine the affecting factors on technostress levels of Turkish teachers. For this purpose, after giving a brief information about the technostress, the teachers are asked to give an answer to the question of “What are the factors that affect your technostress level in your profession and life?”. A qualitative method was used in order to determine the affecting factors on technostress levels of Turkish teachers. 64 teachers were participated the research. “Convenience sampling” method was used which is frequently preferred method in a qualitative research. While descriptive statics is used to analyze the demographic data of the participants, content analysis technique is used to analyze the qualitative data. As a result of the analysis process, 117 different expressions were summarized under 5 themes. Teachers stated the most important technostress factor as individual problems (43 expression) including the inability to use technology, lack of education, foreign language problem, etc. and technical problems (43 expression) including the needs of update, frequently crashing, software problems, etc. The other factors expressed by teachers are educational problems (21 expression), time problems (5 expression) and healty problems (5 expression). |
| Keywords: | Technostress, teachers, education, ICT |
| JEL: | I29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2403619&r=cwa |
| By: | Murat Alikhanov; Leon Taylor (KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan) |
| Abstract: | Volatility in money velocity destabilizes spending and output, generating business cycles. This note develops a gauge of this volatility, based on the quantity equation of exchange. In contrast to ad hoc regression, the gauge measures the impacts on volatility of the three determinants of velocity – money supply, output, and the price level. The algorithm allows covariances among these variables. An application to a fast-growing transition economy, Kazakhstan, finds that at the margin, price shocks affect volatility more than do real shocks, by several orders of magnitude. An oil exporter, Kazakhstan may be vulnerable to the gyrating price of crude. |
| Keywords: | real shocks, monetary shocks, monetary policy, simulations, forecasting in transitional economies |
| JEL: | E47 E52 |
| Date: | 2015–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sko:wpaper:bep-2015-06&r=cwa |
| By: | Abdullah Sürücü (Necmettin Erbakan University Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty); Atila Y (Necmettin Erbakan University Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty); Ali Ünal (Necmettin Erbakan University Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty) |
| Abstract: | What is expected from schools is to provide a safe learning environment which is suitable for raising socialized adults who will be the producing members of the society. School safety is a safe environment where mainly students and teachers and directors at school feel at home and continue their education without experiencing any anxieties and fears. Subjective well-being is a general evaluation with regard to the life satisfactions and positive - negative sensations of the individuals. This evaluation includes the individuals’ emotional reactions to the events, moods, life satisfactions, cognitive judgments about life satisfactions and satisfactions in living areas such as marriage and work. People experience a high subjective well-being whenever they feel many pleasant and a few unpleasant feelings, whenever they are involved in interesting activities, whenever they experience much happiness and a little sorrow and whenever they are satisfied from their lives. The purpose of this research is to determine school safety and subjective well-being levels based on the opinions of the teachers and students who work at the public high schools in the central districts of Konya province. This research is considered important in terms of determining the opinions of those who spend most of their time at schools in order to provide a safe environment, revealing the existing problems and bringing solution suggestions. The research was carried out in survey model due to its conformity with the subject and purposes. Comparison type survey method was used in the solution of the data. The population of the research consists of all secondary education teachers and students within the borders of Konya province. The schools, teachers and students which are included in the sampling group were determined randomly. “Subjective Well-Being Scale” which was developed by Tuzgöl Dost (2005) and “School Safety Scale” which was developed by Goldberg (2008) and adapted into Turkish by Çankaya and Arabac |
| Keywords: | School Safety, Subjective Well-Being, Teachers and Students. |
| JEL: | I29 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2404075&r=cwa |
| By: | Saliev, Firdavs; Soliev, Mukhammadkhon |
| Abstract: | This research empirically highlights the recent status of tourism development in Uzbekistan, with analyzing of current quantitative economic overview. As a Silk Road destination, country has underlined as one of the major tourist targets for developing and it has undergone many alters over a short historical period in terms of economic, environmental and social changes on tourism sector. On that basis, this work demonstrates up the overall internal and external economic perspectives of represented country according to their status quo. This conjectural framework is experienced tests by means of a study to demonstrate the strength of the touristic destination of many historical and touristic sites, which reflect the competitive reality of the World Heritage tourism destination in whole Central Asia. The results serve to state out major trends and gaps, which focus on further research on this topic globally, and also they might be useful in diversifying interventions to alleviate the impacts in the tourism industry advancement. |
| Keywords: | Silk Road, Uzbekistan, Tourism Management, Central Asia, Travel facilitation, investment destinations |
| JEL: | O1 O14 O4 O47 |
| Date: | 2015–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:64826&r=cwa |
| By: | Ali Unal (Necmettin Erbakan University Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty); Musa Gursel (Mevlana University) |
| Abstract: | Teachers who are beginner in their duty sometimes imitate the behaviors of their teachers under some circumstances. For this reason, negative teacher behaviors from which the teacher candidates are affected can give a hint about their future behaviors. In this research, the aim was to determine the negative teacher behaviors from which the students having education in senior class of education faculty are being affected. In the research phenomology pattern (among the qualitative research patterns) was used. The research group consists of 142 students taking class management lesson in music, special education, science and Turkish sections. 103 of the students were female and 39 were male. Students mentioned negative behavior mostly from their class teacher (60) and secondly from their math teacher (19). By force of the lesson, students were asked to write the negative teacher behavior which most affected them during their education before university. The answers of students were analyzed by content analysis. As a result of the content analysis, 22 negative teacher behavior affecting teacher candidates were determined. These behaviors are classified under vocational insufficiency and violence categories. Violence category was also divided into three themes: physical, psychological and passive aggression. Teacher candidates stated that they were ashamed and affected more when they were exposed to teacher violence in front of other students. |
| Keywords: | teacher, teacher candidate, negative teacher behavior |
| JEL: | A20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2404066&r=cwa |
| By: | Lia Charekishvili (Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Invited Associated Professor) |
| Abstract: | Georgia is wealthy with higher educated population. Society is best served if higher education system enjoys academic freedom and requisite institutional autonomy. A strong education system designed to ensure genuine opportunity for all to reach their full potential and continue to improve their knowledge and capacities throughout their lives will raise such society. In 2004 the Law on Higher Education was adopted, which regulates conduct of educational and scientific research activities of higher educational institutions in Georgia, the principles and procedures of management and funding of higher education, establishes the rules and procedures of foundation, performance, reorganization and liquidation of a higher education institution, as well as the principles of authorization and accreditation. In 1999 Ministry of Education of Georgia started implementing Georgian Education System Realignment and Strengthening Program, funded by the World Bank. Within the framework of the program, the Ministry set up an assessment component. The staff of the component was sent to CITO, an assessment center in Netherlands, where they did professional training and participated in preparation of the program. In 2002 the National Examinations were carried out in Georgia for the first time. In 2005, based on the decision of the Georgian government, the Soviet system for university admissions was replaced by the modern system what is considered as one of the most successful reforms conducted in Georgia. Georgia is the country of universities. There were 198 higher education institutions in 2004 with 172.5 thousands students. During Soviet Union, in 1990s, there were about 600 higher education institutions. The vast majority of the students, about 75%, are engaged in public universities, the rest 25% - in private ones. In 2014, there were 72 higher education institutions.Strong correlation exists between students’ schooling background and their participation in higher education. Financial support is available for the students with highest attainments what can also encourage older workers to retrain or upgrade qualifications. The most important criteria in the decision of choosing university is probably the quality of education and prestige. Other important criteria are the global recognition of programmes on offer, modernity of teaching methods.Overall, students are predominantly looking for a specific and high-quality offer in their area of programmes, at an up-to-date and well-managed institution of high standards which they can afford. |
| Keywords: | Law on Higher Education of Georgia, view of system of higher education of Georgia, on-going reforms of Higher education of Georgia. |
| JEL: | I00 I23 I28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2403787&r=cwa |
| By: | Shukurov, Sobir |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to investigate, theoretically and empirically, regional variation in crude birthrates in Uzbekistan at a provincial (viloyat) level for the period 1991-2010. Also, it offers maps showing the provincial crude birth rates for this period, and probe the ways in which regional fertility differences have arisen. A panel data analysis is also carried out to explain determinants of birth rates. The findings of this study underline that increased women’s participation in the labor force, urbanization rate and poverty have all contributed to the fertility decline in all regions. Moreover, real disposable income was not found to have sizable influence on differences in regional birth rates, which can be explained by preference to traditional socio-cultural norms over opportunity costs of having children. These norms usually encourage fecundity, which can be also confirmed by the average household size that had the biggest impact on reproductive behavior of women living in these regions. |
| Keywords: | regional fertility differences, determinants of birth rates, panel data analysis |
| JEL: | J11 J18 P25 |
| Date: | 2015–06–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:64983&r=cwa |
| By: | Atila YILDIRIM (Necmettin Erbakan Üniversity Ahmet Kele); Ali ÜNAL (Necmettin Erbakan Üniversity Ahmet Kele); Abdullah SÜRÜCÜ (Necmettin Erbakan Üniversity Ahmet Kele) |
| Abstract: | Teacher is the most important factor in making education/instruction activities to reach their purpose and having expected changes in students’ behaviors. Teacher behaviors are seen to be important in the definitions of effective teachers who try to make their students effectively and efficiently make their students reach the goals. Similar effective teacher behaviors have been determined in many researches. The common point of these researches is that their self-confidence and success mainly depend on behaviors with respect to helping their students. When effective teacher behaviors are examined, behaviors of establishing warm and sincere relationships with the students and showing close interest in students mainly gain importance. The purpose of this research is to determine effective teacher behaviors based on the opinions of the teacher candidates. A teacher should know what effective teacher behaviors are and try to apply these behaviors in the best manner. It is supposed that research results will be useful in gaining teacher behaviors in teacher raising programs and making teachers at school to become aware in terms of effective teacher behaviors, and use these behaviors in using the learning-teaching process.The research is in the qualitative research model. The study group of the research consists of 132 teacher candidates who receive teaching training at Necmettin Erbakan University Ahmet Kele |
| Keywords: | : Effective teacher behavior, teacher candidate, classroom management |
| JEL: | A20 A20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2404073&r=cwa |
| By: | Akturk, Halit; Gocen, Hasan; Duran, Suleyman |
| Abstract: | This paper introduces a generalized money (M2) multiplier formula to the literature for a monetary system with Reserve Option Mechanism (ROM). Various features of the proposed multiplier are then explored using monthly Turkish data during the decade 2005 to 2015. We report a step increase in the magnitude and a slight upward adjustment in the long-run trend of the multiplier with the adoption of ROM. We provide evidence for substantial change in the seasonal pattern of the multiplier, cash ratio, required and excess reserves under ROM. We show that money (M2) multiplier is less volatile in a monetary system with ROM and discuss the subsequent stabilizing influence of more predictable multiplier on the foreign exchange market. |
| Keywords: | Money multiplier, macroprudential policy, reserve option mechanism, reserve requirements, financial stability |
| JEL: | E51 E52 E58 F31 |
| Date: | 2015–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:64803&r=cwa |
| By: | Asian Development Bank (ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB) (East Asia Department, ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB) (East Asia Department, ADB); Asian Development Bank (ADB) |
| Abstract: | This report describes how Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) corridor performance measurement and monitoring (CPMM) helps to achieve the objectives of the CAREC Transport and Trade Facilitation Strategy and its Implementation Action Plan. It presents the CPMM methodology and discusses the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, especially the private sector. It highlights ongoing efforts to provide accurate and reliable indicators despite the challenges of measuring corridor performance in the CAREC context. The extensive depth of data collected and the richness of information that CPMM has been providing since 2009 supports detailed policy analysis and formulation. Trade facilitation indicators have been developed to inform CAREC’s Development Effectiveness Review. These indicators provide a basis of comparison or benchmarking of one location (border crossing point or corridor segment) against another in terms of (i) the efficiency of border management agency policies and procedures in regulating trade, (ii) infrastructure quality, and, in due course, (iii) the quality and performance of trade logistics service providers. The four indicators include the standard measures of time and cost as the main components. Selected corridor performance data are then analyzed to identify the physical and non-physical barriers to trade and transit traffic encountered at specific locations, helping to pinpoint the causes of excessive delays and costs. With this study, ADB underscores the value of CPMM for CAREC countries (and for countries participating in other subregional programs) as they craft policies and consider investments to facilitate trade. |
| Keywords: | ADB, CAREC, TTFS, CFCFA, CPMM, corridor performance measurement monitoring, Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation, Carrier Forwarder, Development Effectiveness Review, Trade Facilitation Indicators, border crossing points, railways road transport, customs management |
| Date: | 2014–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:asd:wpaper:rpt146534-2&r=cwa |
| By: | Musa Gursel (Mevlana University); Ali Ünal (Necmettin Erbakan University Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty) |
| Abstract: | Teachers' lounge is the room where teachers spend nearly all their break times and working hours at school except for the course hours. In this lounge teachers rest, make preparations for lectures, review students' homework, assess papers and converse with their colleagues concerning personal or work-related topics. Teachers' lounge presents an environment where all teachers in the school gather and communicate. In terms of enhancing the social capital in schools, the role of a comfortable and safe teachers' lounge based on the principles of self-development and helping others, where scientific works on education are discussed, and students' problems are handled under the light of scientific problem, is significant. The things that happen in the teachers' lounge are considered important because they have the potential to affect primarily the social capital of the school, and accordingly the success of the school. The purpose of the present study is to determine how social media users perceive teachers' lounge. Data of the study were collected through document review method among qualitative research methods. The reviewed documents consists of the opinions or entries written under the topics of "teachers' lounge", "teachers' lounge conversations" and "teachers' lounge dialogs" in the social sharing site Eksi Sozluk (https://eksisozluk.com/). Collected data were subjected to contend analysis. By analyzing the data, a total of 23 codes concerning teachers' lounge were established. These codes were integrated under 6 themes. By analyzing the data, a total of 23 codes concerning teachers' lounge were established. These codes were integrated under 6 themes: market place, lounge, private spaces, socialization, Interpretation and Curiosity, Excitement. According to the entries made in the Eksi Sozluk social sharing site, in its current state teachers' lounge is far from having an effect that would increase the social capital of the school. Teachers use this room mostly for recreation and conversing with each other rather than using it for professional interaction. |
| Keywords: | Teachers' lounge, Eksi Sozluk, social capital |
| JEL: | A20 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:itepro:2404122&r=cwa |