From the Editor in Chief

Abstract

Dear producers and consumers of knowledge,

I am pleased to meet you again with the first issue of the secound volume of the journal Edure. We plan to increase our quality and impact with the work of valuable researchers in this journal, which aims to contribute to the academy. Although only a year have passed since the publication of our first volume, we are proud to have started receiving citations from other studies.

I would like to inform you that we will maintain a selective approach from the first submission onwards in order to raise the quality of our publications to a higher standard. Therefore, I recommend that you, esteemed contributors to the field of science, carefully review the Author's Guide before submitting manuscripts. From the manuscript submission stage, we first use I-thenticate to identify verbatim quotations from other sources. We then commit to completing the initial review within five days and completing the review process within an average of three months. In anticipation of the improved quality that will result from the inclusion of five articles in our inaugural issue, I would like to provide brief summaries of the articles featured in this issue:

The first article of this issue is a study written by Elif Ulu, Umut Haydar Coşkun and Burak Karabey titled “Understanding gaming behavior: Academic and emotional competence as predictors of gaming disorder in gifted youth”. The study examined how gifted children's online gaming addiction levels are related to their academic and emotional competence. In the study conducted with 252 gifted students, it was found that academic and emotional competence significantly predicted gaming addiction; however, social competence did not play a significant role in explaining this relationship. In addition, it was concluded that game addiction and academic competence levels differed according to gender. This comprehensive study provides important contributions to understanding gifted students' relationship with the digital world and draws attention to the need to take individual differences into account in educational programs.

The second article in this issue is “An egalitarian teacher in the social memory of Antalya: Cavit Orhan Tütengil”. This comprehensive study focuses on the teaching period of Cavit Orhan Tütengil, one of Turkey's enlightenment educators, in Antalya, and reveals his influence at Aksu Village Institute and Antalya High School through oral history, document analysis and systematic literature review. Tütengil's understanding of education, his love of humanity, his equality-based approach and his applied sociology studies in the village institutes are examined in detail. Oral history data reveals Tütengil's profound influence on his students and how he kept the principles of democratic education alive. The study bears the traces of not only an educator but also a thinker who was a voice for social justice.

The third article of this issue is the study titled “Teachers‘ views on school principals’ implementation of 21st-century skills” written by Songül Yazıcı Er and Onur Erdoğan. In this study, which was conducted according to the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, how school principals implement 21st century skills in schools was examined in line with teachers' views. The study was conducted with the participation of 16 teachers working in different branches and levels. The findings reveal that school principals have various strengths and weaknesses in implementing learning and innovation, information and communication technologies, and life and career skills. In particular, it is emphasized that skills such as communication, leadership, technology literacy and empathy need to be developed. The study draws attention to the fact that equipping school administrators with the competencies required by the age will contribute to the quality of education.

The fourth article in this issue, entitled "Illuminating Diversity in STEM: Integrating the cultural meaning of the sun through culturally responsive pedagogies" by Mustafa Şahin Bülbül, presents a compelling case for integrating cultural narratives into STEM education. Grounded in the frameworks of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Rightful Presence, the study explores how students’ lived experiences and community-based knowledge systems can transform science learning into a more inclusive and meaningful process. Through a solar-oven design workshop with middle-school students from diverse backgrounds, the research demonstrates how cultural familiarity and identity-driven creativity enhance engagement and problem-solving. By positioning the sun not only as a scientific object but also as a cultural symbol, the study shows how learners can become co-authors of their educational journeys. This article contributes richly to the discourse on equity and cultural relevance in STEM, calling for systemic reforms in curriculum design, teacher training, and assessment to embrace the diverse ways students understand and interact with science.

The fifth and final article in this issue, titled "The role of grade level in student evaluations of teaching: Evidence from a middle school context" by Mustafa Ali Kırmızıoğlu, investigates how students' evaluations of the instructional process differ across grade levels. Conducted with 541 middle school students in Turkey, the study examines students’ perceptions across four dimensions: teacher, content, materials, and learning environment. Using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, the findings reveal significant differences in all dimensions except for instructional materials, with 8th-grade students generally providing more favorable evaluations than their younger peers. The results suggest that as students progress through school, their developmental maturity influences their ability to critically evaluate educational experiences. Rooted in constructivist learning theory, the study offers valuable insights into how instructional design and student feedback systems can be aligned more closely with students' cognitive and developmental levels, contributing to more responsive and effective teaching practices.

I sincerely hope that the studies conducted in various areas of education will prove useful and contribute significantly to both educational practice and theoretical knowledge in the field of education. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to my colleagues who served as editors and reviewers for their valuable contributions to the success of the first issue of the secound volume. I extend my warmest greetings to each of you and look forward to the prospect of meeting again in the next issue, scheduled for October.