The impact of the yurt-time project implemented in GSB/ the ministry of youth and sports dormitories on the academic success of students in the context of social policy: The sample of Ankara

The concept of social policy originated during the time of the Industrial Revolution and Capitalism. Initially, it was aimed to address the issues that arose between employees and employers following rapid industrialization. Over time, social policy has expanded its reach to include different segments of society and address a diverse array of social challenges, with a special focus on the needs of disadvantaged communities. In order to ensure the social justice and social welfare, the primary goal of the social policy defined as regulations made by the state is to support disadvantaged groups and increase their welfare. Young people are currently among the most disadvantaged groups. Students studying in cities far away from their parents often encounter difficulties, particularly concerning nutrition and transportation. These issues arise from their lack of participation in the job market and the absence of a stable and consistent income. In Turkey, university students are supported by the state, non-governmental organizations, and private enterprises through various social policy practices during this challenging educational process. The most important institution in Turkey that produces services and policies for youth, especially for the university students, is the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Ministry provides many services to university students in various areas, including accommodation, nutrition, scholarships, loans, and free time activities. In this context, one of the projects in the 2022/2023 academic year run by the Ministry of Youth and Sports is the Yurt-Time Sports Project. Within the scope of the project, students living in dormitories affiliated with the Ministry, it is aimed at supporting them academically, economically, and sportively. They are assigned to various units in the dormitories for a maximum of 2 hours a day, 8 hours a week, and 40 hours a month. Within the scope of this thesis, an online survey was conducted for students who took part in the project and those who did not, and whether the project had an impact on the academic success of the students by using the scanning technique as one of the quantitative research designs. The students were considered as two groups: The first group consisted of officially registered students who resided in GSB's (The Ministry of Youth and Sports) dormitories and benefited from the Yurt-Time Sports project as the control group. The second one was the control group that was accommodated in those dormitories but did not benefit from the project. All results were evaluated separately according to these experimental groups. In addition, an evaluation was made for all students, regardless of any group. There are a total of 229 students participating in the Yurt-Time Sports project in Ankara. The study sample consists of 287 students in total that 138 of students in GSB dormitories participated in the Yurt-Time Sports Project, forming the control group in Ankara. On the other hand, there are 149 students in the experimental group who also reside in these dormitories, but did not participate in the project. The survey was conducted online in April-May (2023). As a result of the research, it was found that the project made a positive contribution to the academic success of the students. This situation was also reflected in the self-evaluation of the students in both groups. Accordingly, 72.5 percent (100 students) of students in the control group, considered themselves as highly successful/successful, while 1.4 percent (2 students) considered themselves as unsuccessful/weak. Also, 49.6 percent (73 students) considered themselves as very successful/successful, while 6.8 percent (10 students) considered themselves as unsuccessful/weak. The students also stated that the project positively affected their academic success (72.7 percent /96 students). Upon conducting an analysis of the factors driving students' engagement in the project, an astounding 84.6 percent (115 students) was found to be primarily motivated by the prospect of "financial gain". The students also stated that the project had a positive impact on their financial situation (97.1 percent - 133 students). Students participating in the project found the sports activities they did within the scope of the project useful (59.9 - 82 students). It also revealed that they thought the project gained sports habits (38.0 percent - 52 students). It was also found out that some students thought the project contributed to their post-graduation career in terms of work experience. (46.7.0 percent - 64 students). Keywords: academic success, education, youth, social policy, yurt-time sports project