This study examines the relationships among economic growth, foreign trade, and human capital in MINT countries (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Türkiye) over the 2000–2022 period. The study focuses on the short-f and long-run relationships of exports, imports, and human capital with economic growth in emerging market economies. Using annual panel data, the analysis employs a Panel ARDL framework to capture both short- and long-run dynamics. The empirical results indicate that exports are positively and statistically significantly associated with economic growth in both the short and long run, whereas imports exhibit a negative and statistically significant relationship with growth in both periods. Human capital also shows a positive and statistically significant relationship with economic growth in both the short and long run. In addition, the negative and statistically significant error-correction coefficient indicates that short-run deviations adjust toward long-run equilibrium over time. These findings suggest that foreign trade and human capital are important factors in examining the growth performance of MINT countries. From a policy perspective, the results highlight the importance of supporting export performance, carefully considering the role of imports in the growth process, and maintaining policies that promote human capital development. Since the analysis does not distinguish among different types of exports and imports or between individual components of human capital, more specific policy implications concerning trade composition, education, and health require further investigation.
This study aims to analyze the epistemological transformation concerning the nature and legitimacy of knowledge in the context of modernity and postmodernity through İhsan Oktay Anar’s The Atlas of Misty Continents. While modernity conceptualizes knowledge as a universal structure grounded in reason and empirical verification, postmodern thought challenges these assumptions by arguing that knowledge is produced within historical, cultural, and discursive processes. Accordingly, truth is not treated as a fixed entity but rather as a contextual and pluralized construction. The study examines the core concepts of postmodern epistemology through Jean-François Lyotard’s critique of “grand narratives” and his notion of “language games,” as well as Michel Foucault’s framework of the knowledge–power relationship. Although these perspectives do not entirely deny the possibility of objective reality, they emphasize that knowledge gains legitimacy through specific discursive and institutional formations. By extending this theoretical framework into the field of literature, the article discusses how the postmodern novel represents regimes of knowledge. In this respect, it argues that in The Atlas of Misty Continents, knowledge is constructed in multiple forms, drawing not only on scientific rationality but also on sources such as rumor, intuition, tradition, and dreams. The novel is analyzed through categories including narrative reliability, the representation of knowledge sources, the pluralization of truth claims, and the distribution of epistemic authority. The study contends that Anar does not merely juxtapose modern and postmodern epistemologies but instead incorporates them simultaneously and equivalently within fiction. Consequently, this article argues that The Atlas of Misty Continents is not merely an aesthetic work of fiction; rather, it constructs a mode of thinking that simultaneously draws on postmodern epistemology and the Ottoman epistemic framework.
The rapid development of generative AI is fundamentally transforming creative design disciplines including graphic design, visual communication design, animation, game design, and UI/UX design. Existing studies predominantly address the role of AI within a single discipline, while comparative analyses examining these fields systematically remain limited in the literature. The research conducted by Choudhury, Eisenbart & Kuys (2025) and Song & Abdul Rabu (2025) have clearly revealed the need for discipline-specific comparative studies in sub-fields. The aim of this research is to reveal comparatively in which functions, at which stages, and in what forms of human-AI collaboration AI is utilized within these design disciplines. This systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA 2020 protocol. A search conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, a total of 100 articles were analyzed, comprising 20 articles representing each of the five visual design disciplines. The results of the analysis reveal that graphic design, artificial intelligence supports concept development and visual production processes, while in visual communication design, it undertakes evaluation and classification functions. In the field of animation, motion generation and character development processes are accelerated, and in game design, it assumes a determining role in procedural content generation and narrative development stages. In UI/UX design, AI contributes to the modeling of user behavior and prototyping processes. The interdisciplinary comparison shows that AI has established itself as a different creative partner in each field, and common challenges such as originality, copyright, and the transformation of designer identity maintain their validity across all disciplines. This research presents an original framework that addresses the use of AI comparatively across five visual design disciplines, emphasizing the necessity of field-based evaluations for design researchers, educators, and practitioners.
This study aims to investigate preschool teachers’ views on their roles in supporting children’s mental health. The study was conducted using a basic qualitative research design, and the participants consisted of 14 preschool teachers selected through typical case sampling, a purposive sampling method. Data were collected with a semi-structured interview. The data were analyzed using an inductive approach within the framework of content analysis. The findings showed that preschool teachers had knowledge of children’s mental health. Teachers stated that the most important factor among the risk and protective factors affecting children’s mental health was the family. They also emphasized that their own role in supporting children’s mental health was significant. Teachers reported that they obtained information about children’s mental health through observation, gathering information from families, and play-based interactions. In addition, the teachers cooperated with families, school psychological counselors and guidance teachers when necessary to support children’s mental health. The findings also indicated that teachers needed both professional training and parent education programs regarding children’s mental health. However, they stated that children need a variety of materials and spaces in the classroom to help them relax. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that preschool teachers play a significant role in supporting children’s mental health.
This study examines the relationships between curiosity and soft skills levels in pre-service teachers (N = 560) studying in six different teacher training programs, using multigroup structural equation modeling via academic achievement (grade point average, GPA). Based on Kashdan et al.'s (2018, 2020) Revised Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale (5DC-R) framework, curiosity was modeled in two latent dimensions: POSMERAK (Positive Curiosity) and STRESINT (Stress Intolerance). Analyses were conducted using Mplus 8.3 software. The main structural equation model and multigroup invariance tests were performed using a robust maximum likelihood (MLR) estimator with standard errors and a Satorra-Bentler corrected chi-square difference test. Confidence intervals for indirect effects were calculated separately using a maximum likelihood (MLR) estimator and a bootstrap method with 5000 resamples. Measurement invariance was tested in three stages: formal invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance. Then, structural invariance was examined by comparing free and constrained models of structural pathways. Invariance was achieved at all stages. The findings revealed a significant difference at two levels. At the first level, structural pathways are equivalent across all six programs, meaning the functioning of the curiosity-soft skills process has a universal pattern. At the second level, latent variable levels are significantly higher in favor of Science and Mathematics teacher candidates. The results suggest that curiosity-based developmental interventions in teacher education can be designed within the same framework across all disciplines, but differences in initial positions can be complemented with discipline-specific support.
