This study aims to investigate the theater participations of emerging adults who actively take part in Boğaziçi University Players (BUP), a university theater club in Turkey, and how these participations are related to their identity development process. Adopting a constructivist epistemological perspective arguing that knowledge is constructed through social interactions, this study treated Boğaziçi University Players (BUP) as a qualitative descriptive single case study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants who have been actively involved in Boğaziçi University Players (BUP) for at least three years. The data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in the articulation of identity around four self-experiences: individual, artistic, collective, and political. Findings indicate that within the framework of structural constraints such as economic uncertainty and family expectations in Turkey, university theater can function as a challenging yet growth-fostering space that enables emerging adults to explore possible selves, develop bodily awareness, construct artistic and collective identities, and position themselves as active social and cultural agents. This study highlights university theater as a relational, bodily, collective, and arts-based context where emerging adults explore their identities and negotiate their psychosocial development, and offers implications for psychological counseling and higher education practices.

This qualitative study examined the experiences of relational depth between counselors and clients in Turkey. The study explored how relational depth is experienced during the therapeutic process, the factors facilitating its emergence, and its effects on the therapeutic relationship. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with 10 counselors who have been actively seeing clients for at least a year and 9 clients who are currently receiving or have previously received psychological counseling support. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis with MAXQDA. The findings were gathered under four themes. First, moments of relational depth; encompassing therapeutic moments where clients openly contact challenging emotions, develop awareness, and experience flow. Second, factors facilitating relational depth and relational readiness; emphasizing the importance of trust, emotional warmth, empathy, authenticity, non-judgmental acceptance, and therapeutic readiness. Third, subjective and interpersonal experiences; including feelings of being seen, understood, and emotional attunement. Fourth, effects of relational depth; encompassing increased psychological resilience, strengthening of the therapeutic relationship, and reduction of client defenses. This study contributes to the limited literature on relational depth in the field of psychological counseling in Turkey and emphasizes the importance of relational competencies in counselor training, supervision, and therapeutic practices.

This study investigated the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and job satisfaction of adult educators working at Public Education Centers in Istanbul, focusing on the direction and strength of this relationship. A quantitative descriptive correlational survey model was used in the study. The sample consisted of adult educators working in Public Education Centers affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Istanbul who voluntarily participated in the study through accessible sampling methods. Data were collected via an online questionnaire consisting of three sections: a demographic information form, the 12-item Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, and the 9-item Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale. The findings revealed that perceived self-efficacy and job satisfaction of adult educators did not show significant differences in terms of gender, education level, or professional seniority. However, statistically significant differences were found regarding in-service training participation, age, weekly course load, and subject area. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant, positive, low-effect linear relationship between adult educators' perceived self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Furthermore, simple linear regression analysis showed that perceived self-efficacy is a statistically significant predictor of job satisfaction. Overall, the results indicate that strengthening adult educators' self-efficacy can contribute to higher job satisfaction and provide insights into factors that can improve working conditions for adult educators in Public Education Centers.

This qualitative study examined the experiences of mental health professionals working in university psychological counseling centers in Turkey. Aiming to understand what it is like to provide mental health services in a university context, the study addressed working conditions, positive experiences, challenges, needs, and support resources. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with ten mental health professionals working at universities in different regions. Data were evaluated through content analysis using MAXQDA software, and findings were presented under five main themes. Physical conditions—especially being on campus, access to nature, and working with students—were among the most frequently cited positive experiences, while center structure, managerial attitudes, and financial difficulties stood out as the most common challenges. Professional, managerial, structural, and financial needs, particularly opportunities for continuous education, were defined as basic requirements. Support resources varied, including internal coping processes, close relationships, and peer support. This study contributed to the limited literature on university mental health services in Turkey by emphasizing institutional and contextual dynamics. In line with the findings, establishing structured supervision systems, increasing mental health awareness across campus, and developing policies supporting the well-being of professionals are recommended.

The first adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Spielberger Test Anxiety Inventory (STAI) into Turkish was conducted approximately 40 years ago and has been widely used since then. This study aimed to re-evaluate the validity and reliability properties of the inventory. A total of 1,706 individuals, including high school graduates and middle school, high school, or university students, participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the two-factor structure of the original inventory, named Worry and Emotionality. The significant relationships of STAI with other anxiety tools provided evidence-based validity findings. On the other hand, academic motivation was not found to be related to test anxiety. Test anxiety levels of preparatory unit and freshman students preparing for the challenging English proficiency exam at the university were found to be similar. However, graduates preparing for the university exam again showed higher test anxiety than high school seniors. Although students who regularly use school counseling services did not have high total test anxieties, their Worry scores tended to be high. Cronbach's alpha coefficients indicated high internal consistency. Test-retest correlations obtained with fifty participants at a three-week interval indicated high stability. Overall, the findings showed that the Turkish Form of STAI is still a valid and reliable tool for measuring test anxiety levels of middle school, high school, and university students.

The purpose of this study is to measure the self-determined learning skills of university graduate and full-time working adult learners and to examine adult learners' learning preferences tendencies. This study is a quantitative research with a correlational design aiming to examine the relationship between adult learners' learning preferences and self-determined learning skills scale (SDLS) scores. The quantitative method will provide statistical analysis to investigate potential connections between variables and understand how learners' learning preferences may affect their self-determined learning skills. In this quantitative research, 341 adult learners who work full-time, are university graduates, and have participated in at least one professional development program in the last year were administered the SDLS and learning preferences questionnaire online. According to the research results, relationships between participants' SDLS scores and study technique, learning style, learning resource, and self-assessment preferences were examined, and self-determined learning skills scores were correlated with adults' learning preference tendencies. Self-determined learning-heutagogy is an important learning approach for the 21st century; therefore, it is anticipated that implementing SDLS in adult learners and correlating it with adult learners' learning preference tendencies can make significant contributions to national and international literature.

This study aimed to investigate the role of maternal reflective functioning in the relationship between adverse and positive childhood experiences and maternal self-efficacy. The sample consisted of 155 mothers having at least one child aged 12 to 36 months. Data were collected using a demographic form, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale, Positive Childhood Experiences Scale, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. SPSS version 4.2 of the "PROCESS macro" was used to investigate two mediation models. The first model could not be tested because no significant relationship was found between adverse childhood experiences and maternal self-efficacy. In the second model, the "Pre-mentalizing Modes" dimension of maternal reflective functioning (b = .807, 95% CI [.165, 1.507]) partially mediated the relationship between mothers' positive childhood experiences and self-efficacy, whereas the other two dimensions did not mediate this relationship. This study demonstrates that with the increase in mothers' positive childhood experiences, mentalizing skills supporting the mother's interaction with the child's world increase, and thus maternal self-efficacy rises. Implications based on preventive and intervention-oriented programs and services for psychological counselors and professionals working with new mothers were evaluated.

Shared book reading is a joint reading experience where the child "shares" reading with an adult individual through books. This study aims to investigate the level of fathers' participation in shared book reading with their children. The study consists of 210 fathers living in Turkey who have a child aged 3-5 years. The questionnaire was administered online. Fathers' participation in shared reading was measured by their weekly reading frequency with their children, shared reading behaviors, and attitudes towards shared reading. When father's education level, working hours, reading enjoyment, sense of competence, and home reading environment were controlled, father's sense of competence, pleasure derived from reading, and child's engagement in reading significantly predicted father's participation in shared reading. Furthermore, in the mediation analysis conducted, child's engagement in reading was found to be a mediating predictor in the relationship between father's pleasure from reading and participation in shared reading. The findings indicate that mental health professionals can incorporate shared book reading activities into family counseling practices conducted to support fathers' feelings of competence and joy in their parenting role.

This study aims to examine the experiences, challenges faced, and coping mechanisms of adult educators working at İskenderun Public Education Center following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023. The research was carried out using a phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods. The participants of the research consisted of 10 adult educators working at İskenderun Public Education Center selected through purposive sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the findings, public education centers and adult educators were negatively affected by the earthquake; they encountered various challenges after the disaster and new needs emerged. Based on the experiences of adult educators, three main themes were determined: challenges and needs encountered, ways of coping with challenges, and recommendations for preparedness for similar disasters. The research findings reveal that adult educators experienced physical, financial, and psychological difficulties after the earthquake. This study emphasizes the importance of determining and providing the support needed by adult educators after major disasters. This study contributes to the literature, the development of education policies, and the establishment of support mechanisms for adult educators post-disaster.

This study aims to measure the long-term effects of a dialogic reading program on children and parents. The study was structured using a randomized controlled design and repeated measurements across three separate time periods. The research included 92 mothers and their children aged 24 to 32 months. In the study, mother-child dyads participated in a 7-week dialogic shared reading program in community centers located in Istanbul, while the control group received no intervention. Pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments measured children's receptive and expressive language skills, socio-emotional problems, and mothers' depression and parenting competencies. According to the findings of the study, a significant decrease was observed in the socio-emotional problems of children participating in the intervention program, but no significant effect was observed on language skills. In addition, mothers participating in the program reported a significant decrease in depression levels and parenting competencies. The findings of the study revealed the positive role of the intervention program on children and parents and the long-term effects of the program. The widespread implementation of such programs has the potential to increase the well-being of children and families, especially in low-income or at-risk communities. The findings of the study are discussed in light of the existing literature.

The experience of transition to motherhood is one of the significant transformations in a woman's life. It is known that motherhood identity is constructed both socially and biologically. Therefore, a woman's transition to motherhood process takes place under the influence of many social and personal factors. Cultural background, age of becoming a mother, and the educational status of the individual who will become a mother are a few of these factors. The research aims to explore women's expectations regarding the transition to motherhood period and their first experiences after birth during this period. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate in depth the experience of transition to motherhood of women in Turkey who have university education, career goals, and became pregnant during emerging adulthood. In addition, it examines the effect of women's naturally emerging emotions during the transition to motherhood process and the coping mechanisms they developed on the formation of their motherhood identity. Semi-structured in-depth interviews inquiring about the first year of motherhood were conducted with eight mothers who became pregnant during emerging adulthood. Findings were analyzed using thematic analysis method. As a result, four main themes emerged. The themes were named as attitudes, never as expected, emergency valve, and birth of a versatile mother. Findings were discussed and recommendations for psychological counselors and policy makers were developed. The importance of preventive psychoeducational and social support studies during the transition to motherhood was mentioned within the context of psychological counseling.

The purpose of this case study is to reveal the informal learning experiences of social movement participants against urban transformation in a neighborhood of Istanbul and the results they achieved through these experiences. The study was conducted in Tokatköy neighborhood of Beykoz municipality in Istanbul between 2022-2023. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews and analyzed thematically. Through the analysis of participants' informal learning experiences, the content, pathways, and tools of this informal learning were revealed. The findings of this study indicate that participants experienced informal learning processes regarding urban transformation and social struggle during the movement they developed in reaction to urban transformation. These informal learning processes largely occurred through social relations experienced by participants in the context of this social movement. These informal learning processes also led to changes in participants' previous thoughts regarding urban transformation. These processes simultaneously led participants to acquire new knowledge, attitudes, and values in the context of a social movement. This study is important in terms of recording informal learning processes and their consequences in the context of a social movement. Keywords: Informal learning, social movements, Urban transformation.

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to investigate adult educators' motivations to stay in the profession. The study was conducted with 10 adult educators working in İSMEK who have more than 10 years of experience in adult education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Based on the examination of adult educators' experiences, themes emerged as reasons for entering the field; factors positively and negatively affecting adult educators; reasons for participating in in-service trainings and the effects of in-service trainings on job motivation. Findings showed that most adult educators did not have an academic background related to adult education and most of them did not plan to become adult educators. However, it was found that they mostly had intrinsic motivation while choosing this profession. Data analysis revealed that the factor increasing adult educators' motivation the most was the participants, while the factor decreasing it the most was managers. In this study, although all adult educators stated that in-service trainings increased their job motivations, they were found to have extrinsic motivation to participate in in-service trainings. This study contributes to the literature by providing qualitative and in-depth data on adult educators' job motivation sources. Stability in educational centers can be increased based on motivation and demotivation factors. Keywords: Adult Educator, Professional motivation, Motivating and demotivating factors

This study examines the concept of ecological citizenship from an interdisciplinary perspective and discusses the implications of the findings for adult environmental education. The research defines current debates on environmental problems in these disciplines, views on the roles played by individual and systemic structures on the path to ecological citizenship, and their effects on adult environmental education through expert interviews (Bogner et al., 2018) with scientists specializing in the environment field in education, ecology, economics, politics, and sociology disciplines (total N=5). This study was designed as qualitative research and expert interviews were analyzed using Qualitative Content Analysis (Mayring, 2000). Within the scope of ecological citizenship, similarities and differences of perspectives in the fields were analyzed, and dynamic relations between the individual, society, and system were determined as guiding points for adult environmental education. In the research, the importance of the relationship between the individual and the system in the process of ecological citizenship and the necessity of collective action initiated by individuals to lead the transformation of the system emerged. According to empirical analysis, adult education should be effective in acquiring ecological awareness, responsibility, and being a change agent competencies to be a participatory citizen on ecological issues. Findings support that adult education should provide skills that enable individuals to identify the underlying causes of ecological problems and collaborate with others as pioneers of systemic change. Keywords: ecological citizenship, expert interview, adult education, Turkey

This thesis investigates the effects of repetition on learning and retention through an experimental study focusing on educational videos. It examines the effects of multiple exposures to video content on students' learning and retention of knowledge in light of meaningful learning theories and memory models. Especially with the increasing use of educational videos, the study is important in terms of determining effective learning strategies. Using an experimental design, the study aims to address gaps in the existing literature regarding the effectiveness of repeated viewing and contribute to educational practices by providing insight into the optimization of learning and retention through repetition. The study found that repeated viewing of educational videos significantly increased test scores; participants who underwent repeated viewing achieved higher grades (M=3.56, SD=1.19) compared to single viewing (M=2.91, SD=1.28), showing a statistically significant average increase. For future research, it is recommended to investigate the effects of repetition using a between-subjects design, measure comprehension as a learning outcome, use longer and more diverse video lectures, and examine the effects of delayed testing and executive functions on learning and retention.

This study aims to examine the experiences, challenges faced, and coping mechanisms of adult educators working at İskenderun Public Education Center following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023. The research was carried out using a phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods. The participants of the research consisted of 10 adult educators working at İskenderun Public Education Center selected through purposive sampling method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the findings, public education centers and adult educators were negatively affected by the earthquake; they encountered various challenges after the disaster and new needs emerged. Based on the experiences of adult educators, three main themes were determined: challenges and needs encountered, ways of coping with challenges, and recommendations for preparedness for similar disasters. The research findings reveal that adult educators experienced physical, financial, and psychological difficulties after the earthquake. This study emphasizes the importance of determining and providing the support needed by adult educators after major disasters. This study contributes to the literature, the development of education policies, and the establishment of support mechanisms for adult educators post-disaster.

This study aims to understand how participation patterns and program areas of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Arts and Vocational Training Courses (ISMEK), the leading municipal adult education institution in Turkey, manifested in the neoliberal period. For this purpose, ISMEK participant demographics and program areas data between 2019 and 2024 were analyzed. Data were organized into various tables using frequencies and percentages and analyzed using descriptive analysis method. Findings were discussed within the framework of neoliberal transformation affecting all educational fields after 1980. Results revealed a distinct diversity in vocational and technical programs and high participation of different demographic groups in these programs. This situation indicates an educational orientation to form the labor force demanded by the market, instead of social and individual development, as intended in neoliberal transformation. In addition, women's high participation in areas traditionally thought to be linked with women's interests and roles is a manifestation of the conservative function of education in neoliberalism. This study is expected to contribute to research on municipal adult education activities in contemporary Turkey, where municipalities are increasingly involved in educational services. Keywords: ISMEK, adult education, neoliberal transformation, lifelong learning, municipalities, vocational education

This study aimed to measure the effect of an intervention program based on dialogic reading on children's cognitive outcomes and mothers' dialogic reading skills. The study presents the preliminary findings of a pilot study with a cluster randomized controlled design. The sample of the research consisted of 92 mothers and their 24-31 months old children in the intervention and control groups. While the intervention group received a 7-week dialogic reading program adaptation in groups of four mother-child dyads, the control group received no intervention. In pre-test and post-test assessments, children's receptive language skills were obtained through performances in a receptive language test, children's expressive language skills through a parent-report expressive language inventory, selective attention skills through a computer application, and sustained attention through mother-child book sharing videos coded via a coding scale, and mothers' dialogic reading skills were obtained via a coding scale. Findings revealed that the intervention program did not show a significant effect on variables belonging to either children or mothers. Explanations for these preliminary findings and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

This study was conducted to give voice to mothers' maternal ambivalence experiences. The research aimed to reveal how mothers manage maternal ambivalence. In addition, factors complicating or facilitating maternal ambivalence in mothers' lives were examined. Participants consisted of 10 mothers who have a single child, whose child is of preschool age, and who were enrolled in a private kindergarten during the research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each mother within the framework of qualitative research design. Through thematic analysis, it was revealed that mothers have both positive and negative emotions towards their children and maternal roles. Negative emotions occurred due to the child's unwanted behaviors, sudden mood swings, mothers' fatigue, and crisis moments. Among these negative emotions is regret towards the maternal role restricting women's freedom and causing difficulties. However, after expressing their negative emotions, mothers fell into feelings of regret, shame, and guilt. Mothers shared their maternal ambivalence experiences with non-judgmental people including friends, colleagues, and family members and utilized various strategies to manage maternal ambivalence experiences. It was understood that other people in their social environment as well as close and extended family members exerted pressure on mothers to comply with traditional maternal roles, while providing limited support. Findings pointed to the importance of mothers sharing their ambivalent emotions and social support mechanisms. (Keywords: Maternal ambivalence, Mothers, Interview, Thematic analysis)

In patriarchal societies, cisgender men are considered superior to oppressed and marginalized women and non-binary individuals. This structure based on cisnormativity pressures men to establish and maintain dominance and places masculinity in a fragile position requiring continuous protection against perceived threats. If men perceive that their masculinities are threatened, they can resort to violence to re-establish their positions. This thesis focused on how concepts of masculinity in the perception of both men and women relate to attitudes towards violence against women. Concepts of masculinity included types of masculinity, mindset of masculinity, and perceived threat to masculinity. University students in three major cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir volunteered to participate in the research by answering tools on Google Forms. Of these 405 students, 283 defined themselves as women and 122 as men. Descriptive and relational analyses revealed that men and women with a superior masculinity type understanding have more supportive attitudes towards physical violence compared to those with a non-supremacist masculinity type understanding. There are gender differences in the mindset of masculinity, perceived threat to masculinity, and attitudes towards physical violence. In the mindset of masculinity, except for Avoidance of Femininity, men adopted a more traditional position compared to women in the dimensions of Family Headship, Emotional Restriction, and Dominance. Men perceived more threat in the dimensions of Breadwinning and Protectiveness and showed more supportive attitudes towards physical violence. Biological sex, masculinity mindset, and perceived threat to masculinity predicted violence. According to the psychological counseling perspective, preventing gender discrimination and stretching rigid gender roles are the first steps to achieving non-violence. (Keywords: Masculinity types, Masculinity mindset, Perceived threat to masculinity, Physical violence against women)

This study aimed to examine learning through activism experiences and Freire's (1974) critical consciousness development experiences in the example of LGBTIQ+ activists in Turkey. LGBTIQ+ activists fighting against social injustices and discrimination and LGBTIQ+ individuals not identifying as activists were examined comparatively to try to reveal their learning experiences and critical consciousness development statuses. Documentary Method, a qualitative research method, was used in this study, biographical interviews were conducted with six participants, and the narratives of the participants were analyzed with Documentary Method to reveal orientation frameworks. The orientations of activists clearly differed from non-activist participants through accessing information sources, participating in a community and learning with the community, and developing motivation on learning. Components of critical consciousness, which are critical reflection, critical motivation, and critical action, varied among activist and non-activist participants. Unlike non-activists, components of critical consciousness were found in the orientations of activist participants, and the coexistence of all these components showed that activists were in the process of developing critical consciousness. Keywords: Critical learning; Freire; Social Movements; LGBTQ activism.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perspective of psychological counselors regarding gifted children in public elementary schools in Istanbul. For this purpose, children's needs and professional needs were examined. In this qualitative study, eight interviews were conducted using a semi-structured form with one male and seven female psychological counselors aged between 29 and 37. Two individuals had previous work experience in Science and Art Center (BİLSEM), a state institution for gifted education. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis method. Results showed that psychological counselors conceptualized giftedness in various ways; these are social skills, diversity, easy boredom, creative thinking, a special talent in a field, curiosity, awareness, learning style, interests, and emotional skills. In addition, they stated loneliness, acceptance and being noticed, anxiety, frustration, pressure for success, perfectionism, time management, and career-related issues as counseling needs of gifted children. According to psychological counselors, gifted children are frequently exposed to at least one type of labeling; these are glorification, exclusion, favoritism, alienation, and hiding the giftedness. Psychological counselors stated professional competency and systemic barriers as their professional needs. Individual counseling, group guidance, individual guidance, and group counseling are the most frequently used approaches when working with gifted children. Implications for practice for psychological counselors, teachers, parents, and policy makers were also discussed.

Children need emotional support and cognitive stimulation from parents to grow, learn, and adapt to social life. Poverty poses a major risk for the development of young children and makes parenting difficult in various ways. The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between responsive parenting behaviors and children's social-emotional and behavioral outcomes (social competence, emotion and behavior regulation problems, externalizing behaviors) and the potential moderating effect of depression on this relationship. Ninety mothers with low income having infants aged 24-31 months through Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Family Counseling Centers constitute the sample of this study. Mothers filled out a demographic information form, the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (Briggs-Gowan & Carter, 2006), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983). Mother-child interaction was video-recorded during a children's book reading activity, and maternal behaviors were coded with the Mother-Child Interaction Observation Scale (Rasheed & Yousafzai, 2015). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, contrary to responsive parenting behaviors, families' socio-economic status (SES) significantly predicted emotion and behavior regulation problems in the child. In addition, SES predicted both responsive parenting domains. Emotion and behavior regulation problems were found to be positively associated with maternal depression and negatively associated with mothers' emotional support. Parenting did not mediate the relationship between maternal depression and child outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges, opportunities, and informal learning experiences of school psychological counselors during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of adult education. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research approaches, was used in the research. Guided interview questions were utilized in semi-structured interviews of thirteen (13) participants, one of which was a pilot study. Thematic analysis was applied to the one-on-one transcripts of the interviews using the MAXQDA qualitative data analysis program, and findings were presented in the conclusion section. Eighteen (18) themes emerged in the current study: four (4) themes under the title of challenges, six (6) themes under the title of opportunities, four (4) themes under the title of informal learning, and four (4) themes under the title of coping with challenges. Negative effects on well-being, communication difficulties, technology adaptation difficulties, and professional/procedural difficulties are the themes of challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. Flexibility and time-saving in terms of time and space, opportunity/time for self-initiated professional development, less peer conflict among students, convenience and comfort, facilitation of participation, and others (online counseling) are the themes of opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media and digitalization, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), reading and research, and social support groups are the themes of informal learning experiences. Access to information from reliable sources, physical self-care activities, peer solidarity, and other themes (bibliotherapy-maintaining daily routines) are coping strategies. The results of this study reflect the challenges, opportunities, and informal learning experiences faced by school psychological counselors during the COVID-19 outbreak. Consequently, school counselors, also as adult educators, experienced challenges, opportunities, and informal learning experiences during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study offers suggestions for a more detailed examination of the experiences of school psychological counselors from the perspective of adult education. The study has various limitations due to the nature of the qualitative research sample. The study has implications for school psychological counselors, psychological counselor educators, adult educators, and policy makers. Keywords: informal learning, school counseling, distance education, lifelong learning adult education, challenges and opportunities

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to understand family involvement experiences in online education during the COVID-19 pandemic through the perspectives of early childhood teachers and to explore teachers' learning needs to improve family involvement in online education. This study was conducted with 12 early childhood teachers in Istanbul who offered online education due to the pandemic in the 2020-2021 academic year. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed with a thematic approach. Based on the analysis of early childhood teachers' experiences, themes emerged as parental involvement practices in online education; challenges and opportunities of online education for parental involvement; and teachers' learning experiences and needs in online education. The findings of this study showed that during the pandemic period, parents were involved in their children's online education, and family involvement practices gained a different dimension during this period. However, teachers preferred to carry out family involvement practices in face-to-face education rather than online education. They encountered various challenges regarding family involvement in online education. Despite encountering various challenges, teachers developed specific strategies to overcome these challenges. Finally, teachers did not receive sufficient training regarding family involvement practices in online education during this period and needed training and support in this regard. This study is important for documenting effective methods and approaches in terms of practice, curriculum, and policy regarding online family involvement in early childhood education. Keywords: Informal learning, early childhood education, family involvement, adult education, Covid 19, online education, challenges and opportunities

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of parents of children and adolescents with cancer in Turkey. In this qualitative study conducted to understand how having a child receiving cancer treatment affects parents, participants talked about their experiences before the diagnosis, the challenges they experienced, their needs, support sources, coping mechanisms, and how this experience changed their perspectives on life. For this purpose, ten parents whose child was between 7-17 years old, diagnosed with any type of cancer, and at least three months had passed since their diagnosis were interviewed. Data obtained from interviews were analyzed using content analysis method. Research findings were presented under the headings of being a parent of a child with cancer, challenges, needs, support sources, coping strategies, and changes occurring in perspective. Findings were examined in relation to the literature. Attention was drawn to the roles and practices of psychological counselors in this regard. Limitations of the research were addressed. Based on the results, recommendations were made for professionals, policy makers, and researchers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of emotion regulation strategies and coping with shame in the relationships between negative and positive childhood experiences and psychological problems of university students in emerging adulthood. The sample of the research consists of 393 university students. Data collection tools include Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale, Positive Childhood Experiences Scale, Emotion Regulation Scale, Compass of Shame Scale. Path analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore potential relationships between variables. Results showed that negative and positive childhood experiences are directly related to the psychological states of university students (β = .139, p < .05 for negative experiences; β = -.104, p < .05 for positive experiences). In addition, negative and positive childhood experiences were associated with the psychological states of university students through reappraisal and suppression emotion regulation strategies and maladaptive coping style with shame (β = .088, p < .001 for negative experiences; β = -.139, p < .001 for positive experiences). Preventive psychological counseling interventions for university students can focus on providing trainings to increase positive emotion regulation and coping with shame skills. Keywords: Emerging adulthood, university students, psychological distress, childhood experiences, emotion regulation, coping with shame.

This study aims to investigate how adult educators perceive and practice multicultural education. In this study, phenomenological research design was used as a qualitative research method. Ten adult educators from three different non-formal education institutions were interviewed. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Findings showed that adult educators found multicultural education important and advantageous. Educators associated multicultural education with the coexistence of culturally diverse people in a learning environment and educational materials considering diversity. Although educators mentioned various components of multicultural education, most of them did not define multicultural education comprehensively. Educators' practices regarding multicultural education were limited to content integration and equity pedagogy. The integration of multicultural content by educators was at the level of contributions and additive approaches. When educators' definitions and practices are evaluated, the transformative and social reconstructionist aspects of multicultural education are missing. This study can help adult educators understand multicultural education in terms of transformative and social action approaches. In addition, since multicultural education is not given enough importance within the scope of adult education, this study is expected to contribute to national and international literature.

This qualitative case study investigates the university alumni mentorship program implemented by the alumni association of one of the state universities in Turkey. The purpose of the study is to examine the program descriptively. The specified research questions guided the study: (1) What are the resources of the university alumni mentorship program? (2) Who participates in the program? (3) What are the activities of the program? (4) What are the outcomes of the program? The study used the logic model as a theoretical framework to address the research questions. The study sample consisted of one program director, ten student mentees, and ten alumni mentors. Semi-structured interviews and documents were used as data collection methods, and thematic analysis was applied in data analysis. Research findings revealed that mentorship relationships have various positive outcomes on participants' personal and professional lives such as learning, self-awareness, advanced skills, and gaining different perspectives. The study contributed to the literature by providing insights into the development and implementation process of the university alumni mentorship program. The findings emphasize that the university alumni mentorship program has the potential to support lifelong learning experiences of student mentees and alumni mentors and can serve as an adult education tool. Keywords: Mentorship, Adult Education, Higher Education, University Mentorship Program, Mentor, Mentee

The purpose of this research is to reveal the contribution of art to social and emotional learning and perceptions regarding this contribution of higher education students who deal with art throughout their university lives. In this qualitative study based on semi-structured interview method, participants were selected among undergraduate students studying at a state university in Istanbul who had taken at least two elective art courses. The ages of participants ranged between 20 and 38. Interviews were conducted online within the framework of COVID-19 pandemic measures. During the interviews, demographic information was first collected, and then interview questions were directed to collect information on participants' art experiences within the framework of components of social and emotional learning. Information obtained from interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis method. According to the findings of the study, elective art courses taken by participants during their undergraduate education provided individual and social contributions such as self-awareness, self-confidence, self-discipline, inner peace, intrinsic motivation, social awareness, adaptation, and socialization. In addition, it was observed that it contributed academically to setting new career goals and having a better university life. Analyses performed underline that art is an important learning tool and reveal that it contributes to the social and emotional learning of higher education students. Keywords: art, social and emotional learning, adult education, higher education, empathy, inner peace, qualitative research

Microcredit programs, which are seen as a solution to eradicating poverty in the world alongside the economic empowerment of women, have become widespread in countries. Alongside studies showing that these programs positively affect women and support their empowerment, there are also studies claiming the opposite. There is no study examining all experiences of entrepreneurial women in the process of establishing their own businesses in Turkey from an adult education perspective. Studies focus either on the training process or the process afterwards. The purpose of this qualitative research is to examine the learning experiences of women who received training from KOSGEB and then opened their own workplaces with credit support. Within the scope of the research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Lüleburgaz female entrepreneurs who established their own businesses with KOSGEB credit support. The results of the study show that participants found the entrepreneurship training given by KOSGEB very efficient. Most of the participants stated that they experienced great difficulties in the process of renting the shop and making expenses before getting the credit. KOSGEB giving the credit after the establishment of businesses and intense investigations and paperwork during this process challenged the participants. All participants stated that their lives developed positively after establishing their own businesses. Their determination to be female entrepreneurs enabled them to overcome difficulties. The support of their families during this process is quite important for the participants. 11 out of 12 participants stated that they did not regret applying for KOSGEB credit despite the difficulties they experienced throughout the process. Keywords: Microcredit programs, female entrepreneurs, adult learning.

Past studies consistently show that self-efficacy (SE) in the parenting role is critical for parenting skills and child adjustment (Jones & Prinz, 2005). This study examines what factors predict SE perception in the transition period to motherhood in a sample consisting of 113 pregnant women in their last trimester of pregnancy who will become mothers for the first time. 100 of the participants also participated in the follow-up assessment in the fourth month after birth. Participating mothers reported their SE beliefs and depressive symptoms via scales before and after birth. In addition, information was obtained about perceived social support and pregnancy-related stress in the prenatal period, and characteristics of the baby (gender and temperament). Findings of the study showed that prenatal parental SE is predicted by mothers' depressive symptoms, stress level, and social support received during pregnancy. Similarly, mothers' prenatal stress levels, social support received during pregnancy, and SE perceptions predicted postpartum depressive symptoms and postpartum SE perceptions; on the other hand, baby's gender and temperament did not make a significant contribution to the outcome variable. In addition, mothers' SE perception showed an increase from pre-pregnancy to post-pregnancy, and this increase is predicted by the change in depressive symptoms. The baby's temperament does not affect the relationship between postpartum depression and SE perception. Findings point to the importance of mood and social support shaping the SE perceptions of first-time mother women. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed in detail within the context of psychological counseling.

Teacher characteristics and behavior traits have been of great importance to researchers studying the teacher-student interrelationship. Characteristics that would make a teacher "good" have been the major concern of teacher training programs. The relation between good teaching and student success achievement has been studied extensively. The present study too investigated the definition of an "ideal" teacher. The criterion used for this definition was the students' concept of their ideal teacher. The "ideal" teacher concept was then compared to the perception of the "typical" teacher concept of the students. The way subjects perceived their "ideal' and 'typical" teacher was determined by their ratings of a list of adjectives. This list was previously gathered by another group of students who described "ideal" and "typical" teacher. The study proceeded in several steps. First of all, the congruency between "ideal" and "typical" teacher concepts for the following groups were determined: "high achievers", "low achievers", "educationally satisfied".

This research was designed (1) to test the effectiveness of a short period of creativity training on the divergent thinking abilities of a sample of Turkish ninth graders, (2) to investigate sex differences in divergent thinking abilities, and (3) to study teacher perceptions of divergent thinking abilities. The experimental group (n-20) was exposed to a training program for one hour per week for two consecutive weeks using Osborn's brainstorming technique and reloted principles. The control group (n.17) also carried out non-acad2mic activities for the same amount of time. A pre-and posttest design was employed to assess t~e effectiveness of the creativity training. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking- Verbal forms A and B were used. The tests were scored for the three divergent thinking abilities of fluency, flexibility and originallty. A 2 x 2 (treatment by sex) analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. The class teacher was asked to nominate students for the three divergent thinking abilities. Teacher nominations for these abilities were correlated with the pretest scores of both cl asses. The following findings were obtained: (1) A short period of creativity training had a significant effect in increasing the three divergent thinking ability scores,of the experimental group. (2) Sex did not have a significant effect on the divergent thinking ability scores. (3) The correlations between teacher nominations and the three divergent thinking ability scores were low. The effects of training for creativity were discussed in their relevance for the Turkish culture, and the feasibility of the integration of such training into the guidance periods in the high schools was considered. The lack of sex differences in divergent thinking was discussed in the context of cross-cultural findings. In relation to the results obtained on th~ teacher nominations, visuals/value phrases, and titles match the English archive accurately.