Nezahat Hamiden Karaca

Background: Digital gaming is an integral part of children’s everyday lives and may relate to both cognitive development and psychosocial well-being. Although computational thinking is considered a key skill for navigating digital environments, limited research has examined how digital game addiction relates to computational thinking and well-being, particularly among children with chronic health conditions such as structural heart disease. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the associations among digital game addiction, computational thinking skills, and well-being among middle school children with structural heart disease and their typically developing peers. Methods: An exploratory correlational design was employed. The sample consisted of 30 children with structural heart disease and 25 typically developing peers aged 10–14 years. Data were collected using the Computational Thinking Skills Scale, the Digital Game Addiction Scale for Children, and the EPOCH Well-Being Scale. Relationships among variables were examined using correlation analyses. Results and Conclusions: Among children with structural heart disease, higher levels of digital game addiction were associated with lower creativity, collaboration, and overall computational thinking skills. Computational thinking skills were positively associated with selected dimensions of well-being, particularly connectedness and perseverance. In typically developing children, digital game addiction was negatively associated with several computational thinking dimensions, whereas perseverance and certain aspects of well-being were positively associated with computational thinking skills. Overall, digital game addiction showed limited associations with well-being in both groups. These findings suggest that the relationships among digital game addiction, computational thinking, and well-being may be complex and context-dependent. Given the exploratory correlational design and relatively small sample size, the results should be considered preliminary.

This study examines the relationships between digital game addiction tendencies, self-regulation, social skills, and life skills in preschool children. Gro

Bu çalışma, çift dilli çocuk kitaplarının çocukların dil gelişimi ve kültürel farkındalıkları üzerindeki potansiyel etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Luffy'nin Yeni Dostları adlı Türkçe-İngilizce çocuk kitabı, dil yapısı, çeviri kalitesi, kültürel uyum ve görsel tasarım açısından değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma bulguları, kitabın çocukların kelime hazinelerini genişletme, iki dil arasında geçiş yapma yeteneklerini güçlendirme ve kültürel farkındalık kazanmalarına katkıda bulunma potansiyeline sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Dil yapısında, her iki dilde de çocukların yaş gruplarına uygun, sade ve anlaşılır bir dil kullanıldığı belirlenmiştir. Çeviri kalitesi, iki dilde de anlam bütünlüğü ve akıcılığı sağlayarak çocuğun metni her iki dilde de rahatlıkla takip etmesine olanak tanımaktadır. Kültürel unsurlar açısından, kitabın karakterleri ve hikâyesi yerel ve evrensel değerleri dengeli bir şekilde sunarak çocukların kültürler arası farkındalık kazanmalarını desteklemektedir. Görsel tasarımda ise çocukların dikkatini çekebilecek canlı renkler ve ayrıntılar yer almakta, bu da onların hikâyeye olan ilgisini artırmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, çift dilli kitapların eğitim sisteminde daha yaygın kullanımı, çocukların dil becerilerini ve kültürel farkındalıklarını artırmada etkili bir yöntem olarak önerilmektedir.

This study investigates the impact of the Eco-School program on preschoolers’ environmental awareness, responsible behavior, and foundational skills. Recognizing the formative influence of early childhood education, a sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The participants were 20 five-year-old children enrolled at Çay Melek Sultan Kindergarten in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Established scales were used to measure environmental attitudes, responsible behavior, and skill development, while qualitative insights were gathered through researcher diaries and semi-structured interviews. The intervention consisted of a 12-week program featuring interactive activities on waste recycling, water conservation, and connecting with nature. Quantitative analyses revealed significant improvements in children’s environmental awareness, responsible behaviors, and skills following the program, which were further enriched by qualitative findings on children’s lived experiences. The results demonstrate that early environmental education, particularly when guided by the Eco-School framework, fosters responsible decision-making and essential competencies, thereby laying a foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship. These findings offer valuable implications for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers in strengthening early childhood environmental education practices.

In the contemporary world, rapid technological advancements, increasing urbanization, and industrialization have exacerbated environmental issues. Addressing these challenges necessitates cultivating sensitive and conscious individuals. Within this scope, the "Children Learning the Language of Nature" project was implemented from October 5 to 9, 2020, targeting preschool children with limited exposure to nature education. Conducted in various natural settings in Afyonkarahisar, the project involved 20 children and featured 41 diverse activities spanning drama, art, music, mathematics, and Turkish. These activities aimed to familiarize children with the natural environment, enhance their environmental awareness, and support their cognitive development. To evaluate the children's fundamental skills and environmental attitudes, the Preschool Children’s Basic Skills Scale and the Children's Attitudes Towards the Environment Scale were employed. The findings demonstrate the significant role of nature education in early childhood, offering valuable insights for educators and policymakers. This study underscores the importance of fostering environmentally conscious and sensitive children while serving as a foundation for the development of future educational programs. Moreover, it highlights the critical role of nature education in supporting holistic child development.

This study investigates the impact of digital game addiction on peer play behaviors and social skills in early childhood, focusing on parents' education levels. Using a sample of 405 participants from Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye, the study employs the Digital Game Addiction Tendency Scale and the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (Parent Form). Significant negative correlations were found between the sub-dimensions of disconnection from life and conflict in the Digital Game Addiction Scale and play interaction, indicating that increased digital game addiction tendencies correspond to decreased positive peer play behaviors. No direct correlation was observed between the continuous play and reflection in life dimensions of digital game addiction and peer play interaction. The study emphasizes the importance of balancing digital and peer play experiences for children’s social development. Additionally, it explores how parental education levels influence these dynamics, providing insights and recommendations for families, educators, and policymakers to monitor digital game use and promote balanced play activities. This research adds to the growing literature on digital game addiction and its implications for early childhood development, highlighting the critical role of parental education.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the perceptions of mothers of children attending preschool institutions about risky play and children's self-concept and the relationship between gender. In line with this purpose, it was conducted using the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The sample of the study was determined using the convenience sampling method. The sample of the study consisted of 257 volunteer children and the mothers of the same children. In the study, a general information form developed by the researcher was used to obtain information about the demographic characteristics of the children and their families. As a data collection tool, "Scale for the Attitudes Towards Risky Play at Early Childhood - Parent Form (SATRPEC-PF)" was used to evaluate mothers' perceptions about risky play, and Perception of Child Self-Concept (PCSC) was used to evaluate children's self-concept. The data obtained from the study were created using Spearman Rank Correlation analysis. When the scores obtained from SATRPEC-PF and PCSC were compared, a positive correlation was found between PCSC scores and Pro-beliefs scores from SATRPEC-PF sub-factors, and a negative correlation was found between Feeling Anxiety. No significant relationship was found between Distinguishing Risky Behaviors, Supporting Children, and Parental Support factors. While there was a significant relationship between girls' PCSC scores and SATRPEC-PF Pro-beliefs sub-factor, Distinguishing Risky Behaviors sub-factor, and Feeling Anxiety sub-factor, no significant relationship was found between the Supporting Children and Parental Support sub-factors. A significant relationship was found only between boys' PCSC scores and the Pro-beliefs sub-factor of SATRPEC-PF. Suggestions were presented in line with the findings obtained from the study.

Self concept is an experiential formation gained as a result of certain experiences. The concept of self-concept has an interesting intersection with the psychological field of humour. The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between the humor styles and self-perceptions of primary school 4th grade students and to conduct the validity-reliability study of the humor styles measurement tool. The study group of the research was carried out with 525 students attending the 4th grade of primary school. “Humor Styles Questionnaire for Young Children” (HSQ-Y) and “Self-Perception Profile for Children” (CIBAP) were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the research, first of all, the validity-reliability study of the humor styles questionnaire was conducted and the correlational scanning method of the general scanning model was used to examine the relationship between humor styles and self-perceptions of primary school students. In the results of the research; The humor styles questionnaire was found to be valid and reliable. In the relationship between; The sub-dimension of the humor styles questionnaire reveals the positive and significant relationship of the "participatory humor style" with all the sub-dimensions of the self-perception profile for children, and the "self-enhancing humor style" with the sub-dimension of "social acceptance". In the study, it was also observed that "aggressive humor style" was negatively related to "educational competence", "behavioral management", "social acceptance" "general self-worth" sub-dimensions, and "self-destructive humor style" was negatively related to "athletic competence" sub-dimensions.

In the digitalized world, there are changes in people's behaviours and reactions. A good example of this is observed in children in the context of digital games replacing traditional games. Today, children tend to meet their entertainment needs through digital games outside of school, usually in closed and safe spaces. Although digital games have positive aspects associated with cognitive development and intelligence, excessive playing of these games or not paying attention to age criteria can threaten children's physical and mental health. In addition, children may have poor academic performance and behavioural problems. Unfortunately, children's cyber security can also be jeopardized in digital games played over the network without supervision. In this context, this study was carried out considering the need for a study that compiles the types of digital games, the positive and negative effects of digital games on children, the criteria that can guide parents in the selection of digital games, and awareness-raising initiatives in the field of digital games in Turkey based on the current literature. It is aimed that the study will contribute to educators and parents in terms of obtaining information and developing attitudes and contribute to this literature.