Sosyal Bilgiler Dersinde Dijital Vatandaşlığa Dayalı Etkinliklerin Öğrencilerin Dijital Vatandaşlık Tutumlarına Etkisi ve Dijital Vatandaşlık Anlayışlarına Yansımaları-The Effects of Activities for Digital Citizenship on Students' Attitudes toward Digital

Öz

Özet Bu araştırmanın amacı, 6. sınıf sosyal bilgiler dersinde dijital vatandaşlığa dayalı olarak gerçekleştirilen etkinliklerin, öğrencilerin dijital vatandaşlık tutumlarına etkisini belirlemek ve gerçekleştirilen etkinliklerin öğrencilerin dijital vatandaşlık anlayışlarına yansımalarını incelemektir. Araştırmada deneme modellerinden ön test-son test ve kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel model tercih edilmiştir. Ayrıca 6. sınıf sosyal bilgiler dersinde dijital vatandaşlık dayalı etkinliklerinin uygulanma sürecini betimlerken araştırmanın geçerliğini ve inanırlığını artırmak amacıyla deneysel desen ile birlikte nitel veriler kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda elde edilen bulgular, dijital vatandaşlığa dayalı etkinliklerin sosyal bilgiler dersinde uygulanmasının öğrencilerin dijital ortamdaki tutumlarını olumlu yönde etkilediğini göstermektedir. Abstract Problem: Advances in info-communication technologies have brought many social, cultural, and economic changes along across the world. Recent reflections of these changes over citizenship studies are noteworthy. One of the relevant concepts, digital citizenship can be defined as applying and advocating behaviors necessary for legal, ethical, safe, and responsible use of info-communication technologies in online settings (ISTE, 2007). Day by day, individuals are becoming more and more digital citizens with the spread of the Internet and digital communication devices. However, this gives rise to discussions about problems related with ethics, privacy and security, health, communication, and etc. (Symantec, 2010; Deniz, 2010; Kadll, Kumba & Kanamad, 2010; Gunduz & Ozdinc, 2008; Kabakci & Can, 2009). All these hot issues, debates, and current technological competence standards point that teachers should teach this concept to their students as efficiently as possible by adopting digital citizenship (Greenhow, 2010). Ribble (2006) states that this education can be carried out through 9 dimensions such as digital ethics, digital communication, digital literacy, digital access, digital commerce, digital rights and law, digital privacy and security, digital responsibility, and digital health & wellness. Considering the definition, dimensions, and scope of digital citizenship, Social Studies Course can have a significant role in applying digital citizenship training because of its content and main aim, which is to raise citizens. In this sense, since it aims to raise effective and responsible citizens (NCSS, 1992), Social Studies Course can functionally serve raising future digital citizens by improving individuals' skills to access information and make decisions in a democratic society hosting cultural differences in an inter-dependent world. Although literature contains several studies on digital citizenship, its dimensions, or Internet use (Nebel, Jamison, & Bennett, 2009; Heafner & Friedman, 2008; Crowe, 2006; Lee, Doolittle & Hicks, 2006; Risinger, 2006; Berson, & Balyta, 2004; Berson, & Berson, 2003; Vanfossen, 2001; Shiveley, & Vanfossen 1999), there seems to be no direct study on the effect of activities designed in accordance with digital citizenship and used in Social Studies Course over students' attitudes and behaviors in online settings. This study is a result of the need to fill the gap in the literature and to determine the influence of activities designed along digital citizenship and employed in Social Studies Course over students' attitudes in online settings. Aim: The aim of this research is to identify the effects of activities for digital citizenship education on students' attitudes towards digital citizenship and to investigate their reflections on students' understanding about digital citizenship in 6th grade Social Studies Course. Method: One of the experimental models, pre-test, post-test, and quasi-experimental design with a control group have been employed for the study. Furthermore, in order to increase the validity and reliability of the study, triangulation has been carried out, and less outweighing qualitative data has also been collected together with more dominant quantitative data. Quantitative data has been gathered through “pre-test, post-test, and quasi-experimental model with a control group” whereas qualitative data was recorded via semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Totally 60 students, both in experimental and control groups, have participated in the research. Activities based on digital citizenship were administered during 36 class hours between 03.23.2009 and 06.01.2009. Research data has been collected through various tools such as demographic information form, Digital Citizenship Attitude Scale, semi-structured interview form, activities based on digital citizenship, and MSN Messenger logs of the conversations with students. Quantitative data has been statistically analyzed through SPSS 17 while qualitative data has been examined via QSR-Nvivo 7 and descriptive analysis. Results: Research results have indicated that activities based on digital citizenship have statistically significant positive influence over students' attitudes in terms of ethics and responsibility, communication, privacy and security, and rights and access, and that all these influences, except for communication, are permanent. Following the implementation of activities based on digital citizenship, students have been described as digital citizens who can use technology and the Internet effectively. Participants have stated that activities based on digital citizenship had positive reflections on copyright issues, plagiarism, respecting others in digital settings, being clear during talking with others in digital settings, avoiding inappropriate language, being careful about Turkish language rules, not sharing personal information, not believing in deceitful messages, and not sharing personal passwords. Discussion: After the application of activities based on digital citizenship, students' definition of digital citizenship has been noted to be similar to the one in the literature and related with all the dimensions except for health & wellness (Ribble, & Bailey 2007; ISTE, 2007; Childnet International, 2007; Mossberger, Tolbert, & McNeal, 2008; Greenhow, 2010). In this sense, it is possible to conclude that the activities caused students to grow a more holistic view towards the concept of digital citizenship. Findings have shown that the administration of activities based on digital citizenship in Social Studies Course had a positive impact over students' attitudes in digital settings. This finding of the current research is compatible with those determined by Education, Research, and Development Group in England (2002). Besides, findings have indicated that this study has led to positive student behaviors in terms of intellectual property, copyright issues, plagiarism, respecting the others in the digital settings, being clear during communicating on the Internet, checking the reliability of websites, using website evaluation forms, and being aware of digital citizenship rights, all of which are frequently underlined subjects related with the dimensions of digital citizenship such as digital ethics (Ribble, 2006; Sendag & Odabasi, 2006; Baum, 2005; Atabek, 2006; Uysal & Odabasi, 2006; Reynolds & Tymann, 2008; Botterbusch & Talab, 2009; Ersoy & Karaduman, 2010); digital communication (Ekhaml, 1998; Harper, 1999; Sullivan, 2002; Childnet International, 2007; Roberts & Settle-Murphy, 2007); digital privacy and security (Brooks-Young, 2006; Farmer, 2010; Peckham, 2008); and digital rights and access (Westen, 2006; EUROCITIES, 2005) Suggestions: For Practice: Digital citizenship should be regarded as a unifying theme or skill for primary education instructional programs, and it should be integrated with the outcomes of all courses. Therefore, sample activities modeling the principles of digital citizenship training should be incorporated into the instructional programs. Inappropriate behaviors on the Internet should be solidified through stories enclosed to the activities within learning-teaching process, and they should be interesting to ease students' understanding. For Future Research: Other studies investigating the effect of activities based on digital citizenship in other courses can be designed. Further research can be conducted on digital literacy, digital health & wellness, and digital commerce, which were excluded in the study on the effect of activities based on digital citizenship over students' digital citizenship attitudes. Surveys with school managers, students, parents, and the society as a whole can be conducted in order to identify the needs and things to be done about digital citizenship training.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dijital vatandaşlık, Sosyal bilgiler dersi, Vatandaşlık eğitimi

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