COST-EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS OF PINEAPPLE PRODUCTION IN THAILAND

Volume 79, Apr 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.4.4
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Abstract: Thailand is the world's largest exporter of canned pineapple, although 90% of production is produced for export that the cancellation of commercial privileges had an effect on competitiveness and supply chain, which were formerly vital. In 2018, manufacturers' severe pineapple overstock crisis, greatly affects the purchase price are directly impacted farmers' income. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze the cost management of pineapple production in 2017/18 during this crucial price situation by using a stochastic frontier approach of 388 pineapple farmers in Loei and Nong Khai Provinces in northeastern Thailand. The results showed that overproduction and the usage of fertilizers: Ammonium sulfate and 15-15-15 formula are lacks economy of scale. The surprisingly direction of the variable inefficiency coefficient in this unusual situation that increases the inefficiency are contacting with agricultural extension officers and using flower accelerator. It appears the average of cost-efficiency index only 0.146 indicated the farmers are unable to adjust their crop management and strategies sufficiently. Lastly, it should adequately inform farmers about the process of the circumstances. It is also necessary to mention hedging tools such as farmers' access to contact framing, improving agriculture cooperatives and farmers association, buffer funds, and agricultural price insurance to ensure resilience to any shocks.

Author(s): Phattarapong Malawal, Nattanin Ueasin, Wongchai Anupong, Ke-Chung Peng

THE REALATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE STOCK MARKET INDEXES OF SPORTS CLUBS: A TIME SERIES ANALYSIS

Volume 79, May 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.5.2
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Abstract: The present study examines how severely the stock market indexes of the sports clubs in Turkey and Europe were affected and by which factors between 16.03.2020 and 14.12.2020 in addition to the coronavirus cases and deaths in the pandemic process using empirical methods. Additionally, the number of cases and death rates during the pandemic are analyzed graphically by country. In the empirical application section, the Toda-Yamamoto (1995) test was applied. Before moving on to the causality analysis, the extended Dickey-Fuller test was used to determine whether the series possessed a unit root. In the present study, which covers the period between 16.03.2020 and 14.12.2020, the case and death data of countries were used to reveal the relationship between the stock market indexes of the sports clubs in Turkey and Europe and the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. As a result of the study, no significant value was determined between the stock market index series of sports clubs and the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. No short-term relationship was found between the stock market indexes of sports clubs and the number of cases and deaths.

Author(s): Keziban Yoka, Mehmet Behzat Turan,Aydin Pekel, Osman Yoka, Osman Pepe

THE EFFECTS OF USING EDUCATIONAL COMICS ON STUDENTS’ COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE LEARNING IN SOCIAL STUDIES COURSE IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

Volume 79, Apr 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.4.5
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Abstract: The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of using educational comics on students’ academic achievements, democratic attitudes, knowledge retention and students’ experiences about the teaching materials in the 6th grade social studies course “Participating in Administration” learning area. The research was carried out with mixed methods research and embedded design was used in the study. Mixed methods is a research approach whereby researchers collect both quantitative and qualitative data within the same study to understand research problems and integrate two data sets. Using the advantages of combining these two data sets, researchers draw conclusion on the strengths of these methods. Mixed methods research is used in the behavioural, health, and social sciences. The basic assumption of this approach is that it is more advantageous for the researcher to combine statistical trends (quantitative data) with personal experiences (qualitative data) than to use either of these methods alone to better understand the research problem. In an embedded design, both qualitative and quantitative data are collected at the same time, but one type of data, either qualitative or quantitative, is secondary to the other. Considering the findings obtained as a result of the analyses, it was found that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of experimental group students taught with educational comics and control group students in terms of academic achievement, democratic attitudes, and knowledge retention. According to the findings obtained from the interviews, it was revealed that students were pleased with the use of educational comics in online environments via distant learning and they evaluated these teaching materials as informative, entertaining, and attention grabbing. It was concluded that educational comics used in social studies course in distant education had positive effects on students’ academic achievements, democratic attitudes, and knowledge retention and the students found these teaching materials used in distant learning effective and positive.

Author(s): Sinan Akdag, Ufuk Simsek

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF WATERMELON SEED EXTRACTS (CITRULLUS LANATUS)

Volume 79, Mar 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.3.4
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Abstract: Resistance to already known antibiotics is a burning issue. Today, plant material is increasingly being tested with the aim of detecting pharmacologically active components. Watermelon seeds are most often discarded as waste, and bearing in mind that other parts of the watermelon contain a lot of bioactive components, the logical sequence is also the examination of the seed extract. The aim of this paper is to examine the content of bioactive components, antibiotic activity, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as well as antibiofilm activity extracts of seeds of two species of watermelon, from Croatia and Greece, obtained from two different extraction methods, maceration and Soxhlet extraction. Phytochemical analysis was performed using three different HPLC methods. The antibacterial effect was done using disc method, MIC was determined using broth dilution method and biofilm formation was done using Tryptic Soy Broth (TSB). The results indicate the presence of some flavonoids in all samples, as well as on antimicrobial activity against certain strains of bacteria. The best result iwas shown by the ethanol extract from Greece and overall ethanol extracts show slightly better antimicrobial activity compared to methanol extracts. Depending on the tested concetration, different biofilm categories appear. The results show that as the extract concentration decreases, the biofilm formation capacity increases. Our data show that extracts of the seeds have the potential to act as antimicrobial agents, and further research is needed.

Author(s): Smajovic Alisa, Deumic Sara, Crncevic Neira, Hadzic Selena, Alagic Sabina, Music Elma Nur, Salihovic Mirsada, Pazalja Mirha, Omeragic Elma, Dedic Mirza

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND ITS IMPACT IN PROMOTING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Volume 79, Apr 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.4.2
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Abstract: There is a growing body of literature and research on social capital and its relationship to education and the educational performance of students. Social capital is seen as the element that holds communities together, without which society as a whole would collapse. In line with this, the political and educational stakeholders have proposed social capital as a solution to persistent social problems in a progressive manner. This study looked into how the social capital of parents can improve students' academic performance in public secondary schools in the Gauteng province, Pretoria District, South Africa. In order to address the research problem, the study used the quantitative research approach to collect quantitative data. This study used a correlational design and made use of questionnaires from established tools to gauge social capital. A total of 60 students from two secondary schools in Pretoria, Gauteng Province, South Africa, participated in the study. The questions focused on four variables: parent social guidance, parent academic status, parent social capital, and parent academic effort. The dependent variable is educational achievement, which was the termly achievement record collected from the school exams and records administrators. The study concludes that parental academic effort is a strong determinant of academic achievement.

Author(s): Gbenga Michael Adeyeye, Nazreen Dasoo

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE ON THE PERFORMANCE AND MOTIVATION OF EMPLOYEES (A STUDY ON SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS)

Volume 79, Mar 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.3.3
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Abstract: The present study aims to examine the effect of the organizational climate perceived by the employees working in the Sports Services unit of the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports on their job performance and motivation. In this research, the data were obtained from 502 employees working in the Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports in 13 provinces located in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. The ‘’Personal Information Form’’, ‘’Organizational Climate Scale’’, ‘’Job Performance Scale’’ and ‘’Job Motivation Scale’’ were used as measurement tools in the present study. All the scales are in 5-point Likert type. The statistical package program SPSS.25 was used in the analysis of the data. T-test and F-test were used to examine the differences between variables. Regression analysis was performed to measure the effect levels. As a result of the analyses, it was observed that the organizational climate, job performance and motivation perceptions of the employees did not make a difference based on the variables of gender and title, while differences were found based on the variables of marital status, age, education and working year. It has been concluded that the organizational climate perceptions of the employees have a positive and significant effect on their performance and motivation.

Author(s): SEFA YILDIZ, HAKKI ULUCAN

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INVENTORY FOR YOUNG BUSINESS GRADUATES IN PAKISTAN

Volume 79, Mar 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.3.1
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Abstract: The current environment of Pakistan has been endlessly experiencing negative economic development and growth situations. At the same time, the need for improving productivity and entrepreneurial activities has also highlighted the importance and concern. In such a scenario, entrepreneurs play a vital role in the overall economic growth of a country. This study aims to develop an indigenous multi-dimensional inventory for young business graduates to investigate their entrepreneurial potential for new startups. Additionally, it focuses on providing a general understanding of entrepreneurship in Pakistan for poverty reduction and economic development. The present research was a cross-sectional study and quantitative. This study design was used to explore factors associated with the professional development of entrepreneurs through the conduct of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The target population (n = 296) of the current research was different university students of business and management sciences in Pakistan. The study revealed that the newly developed inventory is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the multi-dimensions of entrepreneurial potential, which includes personality characteristics, traits, competencies, and skills of the respondents. Five factors have emerged after exploratory factor analysis, which provides for Personality Traits, Business Obstacles, Antecedents of Success, Business Ethics/Values, and Leadership skills. This research contributes to the policy and practice in entrepreneurial psychology. This study also contributed to the theoretical framework of entrepreneurship. It provided an indigenously developed instrument for assessing and predicting the personality profile of young business graduates in the context of entrepreneurship.

Author(s): Hafiz Haseeb Nisar, Asia Mushtaq

USING ACADEMC LITERACY LEVEL AS A MEASURE FOR ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS: A UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY

Volume 79, Feb 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.2.5
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Abstract: National statistics suggest that drop-out rates for first year students entering science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes are disproportionately higher across all universities in South Africa. Predicting first-year student success in these programmes has thus become a priority area for researchers in the student academic support and development centres. This paper reports on the results of a pilot study that sought to draw inferences about the predictive value of the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) at one university of technology in South Africa. The purpose of this test is to inform academic staff of entry profiles of students and to assign students to tutorial groups and other academic support programmes. TALL was meant to be written by all new students taking mathematics and science courses in the years 2015 (n = 1240) and 2016 (n = 2133). The findings indicate poor performance for most students who took the test. The findings indicate that the test is not adequate for predicting future academic performance of first year students at tertiary institutions. The results of the current study have informed the University about the diagnostic value of the tool and the academic profile of students which subsequently lead to improved student academic support initiatives.

Author(s): Jeremiah Madzimure, Muntuwenkosi Chili

DIVA SCORE AND PEDIATRIC PATIENTS: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE LITERATURE

Volume 79, Feb 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.2.6
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Abstract: The aims of this research were to analyse the DIVA score publications in pediatric patients and to guide future research. Web of Science (WoS) All Databases collection was searched for publications related to DIVA score and pediatric patients. The keywords used during this search were; DIVA score, difficult intravenous access score, DIVA, difficult venous access, and/or paediatric, pediatric, children, child. Publications were scanned one by one to determine whether they were suitable for the present study. The authors, countries, journals, document types, publications dates, most used keywords were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) All Databases collection. In total, 15 publications related to DIVA score and pediatric patients were identified. These publications were published in 12 different journals and the most publications on this subject were published in the "PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY CARE" journal. The country with the highest number of publications on this subject was the USA. The most preferred 5 key words in publications related to DIVA score in pediatric patients were as follows: 1-Difficult intravenous access / DIVA / difficult venous access (n=10), 2-Paediatric / pediatric / children / child (n=9), 3 -Peripheral intravenous access (n=5), 4-DIVA score (n=4), 5- Peripheral catheterization (n=3). We analyzed all articles about DIVA score in pediatric patients published to date in the WoS All Databases collection. Most publications on this subject were made in pediatric emergency departments. It is expected that there will be developments regarding both the number and content of studies in pediatric patients.

Author(s): Fatma Sargin

SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TEACHER RELATED BARRIERS TO CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

Volume 79, May 2023
doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2023.5.1
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Abstract: This study sought to investigate school district and teacher related barriers to continuous professional learning and development through university education in the Elliotdale Circuit of the Dutywa Education District, South Africa. The research was a qualitative study based on Bioecological Model of Human Development Theory. A sample size of twenty-two (22) respondents (principals, teachers and subject advisors) was used. Face-to-face in-depth individual interviews were conducted using an open-ended interview schedule. Data were analysed thematically. The study found the following to be the barriers to teacher continuous professional learning and development through university education in the Elliotdale Circuit: long hours of travel to and from school by teachers, long distance between the Elliotdale Circuit and cities where Higher Education Institution are situated, deprived and underdeveloped nature of the circuit, teacher workload, insufficient time for further studies, inadequate support from the education district, inadequate information on sources of financial support and bursaries, laziness on the part of teachers and teachers’ self-sufficiency with their current qualifications. Recommendations made were that the Department of Education should make provisions for continuous self-improvement of all teachers in the circuit; the Education Circuit should work with all school principals to support teachers financially to embark on further studies. School Management Teams should work hand in hand with the District Education to organize career guidance workshop for all teachers focusing on the need for teachers to move from their comfort zones and to upgrade their teaching qualifications in the education system.

Author(s): Mohammed I., Cishe E.N., Lukman Y.