Microsoft Word - BRAIN_vol_9_issue_special1_2018_v1l.doc 93 Assessment of the Contributions and Psychological Damages of Technology to the Education at Schools by the Individuals in These Schools Behcet Öznacar Faculty of Education, Near East University Nicosia, Northern Cyprus Yakın Doğu Blv, Lefkoşa, Tel.: +90 392 223 64 64 behcet.oznacar@neu.edu.tr Abstract The technology and innovations that it has provided have begun to show their effect on education too as in all other fields of life. Benefiting from the technological innovations in the field of education in developing world will increase students’ compliance to the changing life conditions. Besides that, individuals who have learnt to use technology accurately and productively during their education period will have a set of differences from other individuals in their future life thanks to technology, information and the skills that they will bring in. In this context, this research has been conducted to understand the opinions of administrators, teachers, and parents for the use of technology and to see how much the use of technology is integrated into the system in schools. Keywords: School, Education, Technology, Safety of Technology, Technological Education 1. Introduction Technology is being used in all aspects of life in the current century, while education has an important place for people to improve themselves in all fields and so as they could work in order to survive. Of course, education in itself will not provide any advantage to people. However, people can exceed their limits by unifying education and skills and so, they can separate themselves from other individuals. It has become an inevitable end that individuals use technology in all fields besides that. The fact that technology is functional, it is shared and spread over and used in all our life shows how much the use of technology is important in the education field (Şişman & İzmirli 2012). The importance of technology use in the educational environment increases day by day. In such cases, the school executives taking the lead in the schools where they work as administrative support is very important not only for the efficient use of technology in the integration of teaching and learning activities while managing the school during such a process, but also in the matter of using information and communication technologies as in all other fields. For this reason, school executives should give up the traditional management approach as soon as possible, and they should be the ones who make peace with technology and help others use it and make it indispensable in their own life (Bülbül & Çühadar 2012). Besides that, teachers, students and also parents should embrace technology together with education. It is regarded to be inevitable that technology which is spreading and developing rapidly in our day to integrate with education as in all other fields. Human resources should be used effectively and efficiently, equal opportunities should be provided to everyone in the education field and educational technologies should be used in classrooms in order to meet both expectations and demands of the society to give quality educational services to people in today’s world in consideration of the necessity of educational technology (Çakır & Yıldırım, 2009). The educational technology is denominated as a complicated process analyzing the problems including the aspects of individuals’ learning phenomenon in an organized way and setting forward all related factors, developing, applying, assessing and managing innovations in order to bring solutions for these (Yalın, 2014). Educational technology in general sense means benefiting from technology productions and technological services in the education field (Şahna & Başay, 2013). BRAIN – Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Volume 9, Special Issue on Educational Psychology (April, 2018), ISSN 2067-8957 94 The place of technology within education grows day by day in order to fulfill the targets of education in an increasing way; besides that, education technology is an important emerging discipline with regard to developing the quality as well as quantity of learning (Helvacı, 2008). The definition of Instructional Technology “applying systematic information obtained in scientific researches into practical fields” has been approved (Yalın, 2014). According to another definition, education technology can be defined as systematic design, application and assessment of learning and teaching process in terms of its all specified special targets by using both human and pecuniary resource based on the researches related to learning and communication in order to provide a more effective education (Yalın, 2002). 2. Method 2.1. Design / Model of Research The qualitative research design will be used in this research. The qualitative research has seven basic features, these are: susceptibility to the natural environment, participant role of the researcher, entirety approach, bringing up perceptions, flexibility in research design, inductive analysis and qualitative data, and it is defined as the research in which qualitative data collection techniques like observation, negotiation and document analysis are used (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2013). It is aimed in this study to determine the views of administrators, teachers, and parents who are important stakeholders in education on the benefits and damages of technology use in schools. For this reason, the phenomenology design which is one of the qualitative research designs has been used in the research. 2.2. Study Group 40 shareholders were selected at primary and secondary education levels from both private and state schools in TRNC while determining the study group in this research. More information and data will be obtained regarding the issue by the assessment of all shareholders’ ideas in common ground. 2.3. Development of Data Collection Tool This research was conducted as a qualitative research method based case study. The qualitative research has seven basic features, these are: susceptibility to the natural environment, participant role of the researcher, entirety approach, bringing up perceptions, flexibility in research design, inductive analysis and qualitative data, and it is defined as the research in which qualitative data collection technics like observation, negotiation and document analysis are used (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2013). 2.4. Data Collection In this research, the qualitative research method and the interview technique that was composed of standardized open-ended questions with regard to structure were used because of their accordance with the scope of the research. Before preparing data collection tool, the idea of experts was received about whether this technic was appropriate or not and it was believed that this technique would be appropriate. Diminishing the effect of the researcher on the research was taken as the main objective by asking the same type of questions to the same participants in the standardized open-ended interview. Even though the questions have been remarked clearly, the researcher has the right to ask additional questions in order to deepen the questions beyond the answers (Yıldırım & Şimsek, 2013). The “Assessment Form of School Shareholders regarding Benefits and Damages of Technology Use” which consisted of open-ended questions aimed for determining the views of all stakeholders (administrators, teachers, and parents) in schools in relation to both benefits and damages of technology use. Similar studies that were conducted in the field or other fields were B. Öznacar - Assessment of the Contributions and Psychological Damages of Technology to the Education at Schools by the Individuals in These Schools 95 investigated while developing this form, and the questions were determined by being organized accordingly with the subject, importance and objective of this research. In order to ensure the internal validity of the interview form, some questions were removed from interview form questions list or unified due to their similarities upon being investigated by three lecturers. 2.5. Coding of Analysis One of the most commonly used methods in qualitative data analysis is the content analysis method. The content analysis is a method used in analyzing the written and visual data as well. The written records that were obtained were transferred to computer media by using Microsoft Office Word 2016 program. Later on, the following range was followed to analyze the data (Kishore, Agrawal and Rao, 2005). The qualitative data analysis NVIVO 11.0 has been used in grouping and coding in categories the data that was obtained from the research. Thanks to NVIVO 11.0 program, the content could easily be coded, and complex knowledge was arranged easily. The data obtained in the direction of detected objectives in the research was preferred to be investigated upon being digitized. Quantification of qualitative data is the process to quantify the data by going through several processes. These processes include putting into numbers the data obtained in printed form by way of interview, observation, and document examination (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2008). 2.6. Validity and Reliability Using methods appropriate to fair and moral principles from the point where a researcher conducts literature review with regard to the research subject to the path that he/she follows till it covers the whole research is indispensable for a research. In this study, attention is paid to provide a healthy communication in which participants could express their ideas openly during the interview. In this way, the necessary conditions were supplied to the participants to express themselves comfortably. All sections that were quoted regarding the research were cited. Furthermore, the situations which do not comply with ethics such as plagiarism, falsification and slicing on no account are welcomed. Besides that, after the whole thesis was written, it was checked completely by using similarity test on a computer environment and it was checked that the thesis was written accordingly with ethical principles. 3. Findings This section of the research includes the findings emerging as a result of the analysis of data obtained through appropriate statistical method and interpretations of such data in order to answer the sub-problems of the research and explain demographic information of the sampling group. Table 1. Do You Approve the Use of Technology in Educational System and Institutions Can You Share Your Ideas on This Issue with Me? Administrator Teacher Parents Total Theme f % f % f % % The use of technology in schools is a right step for students to catch up with developing world. It would be a mistake if it were not the use of technology in today’s conditions. As long as effective area and system of technology use is planned accurately, it will be beneficial. 8 %80 10 %50 2 %20 %50 5 %50 5 %25 5 %50 %37,5 9 %90 7 %35 9 %90 %25 As it can be seen in Table 1, the common view of all shareholders taking place in educational system is that technology should be integrated into educational system, and this system BRAIN – Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Volume 9, Special Issue on Educational Psychology (April, 2018), ISSN 2067-8957 96 should act in accordance with developing technology. The stress pointing the necessity of arranging the use of technology in educational system accurately and in a planned way can be seen clearly in Table 1. Table 2. Do You Think That Training of Students Together with Technology is An Advantage or Disadvantage for Them Can You Share Your Ideas on This Issue with Me? Administrator Teacher Parents Total Theme f % f % f % % Development and learning of students in company with technology will contribute them to be ready and have the necessary qualification for business world. Technology use of students in institutions where the technology cannot be controlled may turn into disadvantage. Control and accurate use of technology can be deemed as advantage as it will bring different viewpoints and skills to students during their education. 6 %60 5 %25 4 %40 %37,5 3 %30 7 % 35 7 %70 %42,5 7 %70 14 %70 2 %20 %57,5 In Table 2 it can be seen there is the idea that students who will sustain their educational life in conjunction with technology for the first time will start their life more readily and advantageous than other students due to being within technology age. However, we can see also in Table 2 that there is technology control and its negative aspects that would influence students and some ideas pointing that precautions should be taken for such cases. Table 3. What Do You Think about Psychological Effects of Technology on Students Can You Share Your Ideas on This Issue with Me? Administrator Teacher Parents Total Theme f % f % f % % In cases where technology cannot be controlled it is possible that students are abused and psychologically damaged. It can be observed tendency towards violence in students who are not supplied with accurate use of technology due to violent access. The psychology of user based on accurate use of technology could be developed in a way to relieve and make them feel powerful. 8 %80 18 %90 7 % 70 %82,5 5 %50 15 %75 2 %20 %55 9 %90 19 %95 10 %100 %95 It can be seen in Table 3 that the use of technology is a threat for abuse incidents that show up later and it is felt in this field. The results like abuse of, exposure of children to the violence or tendency on violence through technology which is not used accurately and safely could come about are among the common views of the participants. Besides that, it can be seen that another view which is common among participants is that students’ self-confidence will increase as a result of some improvements such as they may find new things, new ideas on condition that technology is used accurately and in a controlled manner. B. Öznacar - Assessment of the Contributions and Psychological Damages of Technology to the Education at Schools by the Individuals in These Schools 97 Table 4. Is Technology Used in Schools Accurately and Suitably Can You Share Your Ideas on This Issue with Me? Administrator Teacher Parents Total Theme f % f % f % % There should be taken steps that will integrate technology in lessons and where students will be more active. Technology should be dealt not only as a tool for lecturing but also as the content of courses. As we do not have sufficient sub structure and equipment, we cannot make use of technology precisely. Teachers should also be taken under several trainings on the issue of accurate use and quality training. 7 %70 15 %75 3 %30 %70 4 %40 10 %50 4 %40 %45 3 %30 12 %55 3 %30 %47,5 8 %80 18 %45 4 %40 %75 As it can be seen in Table 4, there is the common view of participants pointing out that they want the contents of courses to be in a way that students could use technology more actively and the technology to be used more effectively not only during lectures but also in the application of the courses. In addition, the lack of substructure and equipment for the use of technology are pronounced to be the biggest problems. Using technology actively in schools where there is not any equipment is out of the question. Except that, the question is that there should be initiations on providing training by using technology for both teachers and administrators in order that teachers could have the quality of providing a good education with technology and become good users of technology. Table 5. Should Technology Use be Expanded in Schools Can You Share Your Ideas on This Issue with Me? Administrator Teacher Parents Total Theme f % f % f % % The use of technology as well as its training should be expanded as it is a necessity of the societies and the developing world. The use of technology should not be necessarily spread. 10 %100 20 %100 10 %100 %100 - - - - - - - As it can be seen in Table 5, the view that technology use should be spread in educational system absolutely is a common point among participants. 4. Discussion and result Several training methods have been applied in the educational system in different ways from past to present day. Nevertheless, the educational system should also take its share of opportunities provided in such a time where the use of technology has gained much importance and that technology occupies an important place in every field of life. The first thing that students will encounter after they finish their schools is their examination with technology. The skills of using technology and revealing a number of ideas and products by using technology is an important issue that should be taught to students during their education. Integrating such an educational system in schools may create a system that will provide important advantages for students. The technology used in schools may contribute to students in accessing knowledge equally with the rest of the world and to think differently. However, the situations that may lead to student abuse should be prevented while using technology. The BRAIN – Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Volume 9, Special Issue on Educational Psychology (April, 2018), ISSN 2067-8957 98 necessary precautions against such cases should be taken by the administrators, teachers, and parents. First of all, the administrators should be informed about such issues then teachers and finally parents. In this way, the students who are intended to be equipped with the necessary training and consciousness could be equipped with awareness regarding such issues when they observe their own parents at home too. At the same time, when we take a look into the research findings, we can see the domination of the idea that technology should be increased gradually in schools and educational system as the common view of administrators, teachers and parents. A place where there is no technology has become almost unimaginable within developing and changing world conditions, and the educational system cannot escape that. What is important here is to provide a more reliable and accurate training of technology, and allow students learn by being protected. Finally, I recommend other researchers who want to conduct similar studies to conduct their researches by dealing with the students in respect to the topic of this research. Moreover, I recommend them to investigate the topic from the viewpoint of the students. I also recommend that they conduct studies in different dimensions by taking into consideration the results obtained from similar researches as well as this research and the studies that will contribute to the development of individuals. References: Bülbül T,. ve Çühaldar C,.(2012). Okul Yöneticilerinin Teknoloji Liderliği Öz-Yeterlik Algıları ile Bilgi ve İletişim Teknolojilerine Yönelik Kabulleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Yıl 12, Sayı 23, Haziran 2012, 474 – 499. Çakır, R,. ve Yıldırım S,.(2009). Bilgisayar Öretmenleri Okullardaki Teknoloji Entegrasyonu Hakkında Ne Düşünürler : İlköğretim Online, 8(3), 952-964, 2009. [Online]: http://ilkogretim-online.org.tr. 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Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri 9. Baskı Seçkin Yayıncılık Yildirim, S. (2007). Current utilization of ICT in Turkish basic education Schools: A review of Teacher's ICT use and barriers to integration. International Journal of Instructional Media, 34(2) 171-186.