Research Article
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Awareness scale for safe use of information technologies for secondary school students

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: ISRIS 2025, 54 - 86, 31.07.2025
https://doi.org/10.48146/odusobiad.1724869

Abstract

The aim of this research is to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to determine the awareness levels of secondary school students towards using information technologies safely. The research was conducted within the framework of the survey model, one of the quantitative research designs. In the scale development process, a 55-item preliminary form, which was created by reviewing the relevant literature, was applied to 390 students and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed. As a result of EFA, the scale was reduced to a four-factor structure and reduced to 23 items. These four factors explained 50.210% of the total variance. The obtained structure was tested with Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) by applying it to a different sample of 512 students. The model fit values obtained as a result of CFA (χ²/sd = 2.019, RMSEA = .045, CFI = .924, TLI = .915, GFI = .927, AGFI = .910, IFI = .925) show that the model provides a high level of fit to the data. The factors were named as "Cyberbullying Awareness and Ethical Behaviours", "Healthy Technology Use", "Digital Security and Data Protection" and "Social Security and Seeking Support in Digital Environment" respectively. Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficients were found between .601 and .861 for the dimensions and .893 for the overall scale. The findings reveal that the developed scale can validly and reliably measure the awareness levels of secondary school students towards safe technology use.

References

  • Akar, F. (2017). Purposes and characteristics of internet use of adolescents. Pegem Journal of Instruction, 7(2), 257 – 286. DOI:10.14527/pegegog.2017.010
  • Akın, A., Kaya, M., Akın, Ü., Sahranç, Ü., & Uğur, E. (2014). İnternet öz-yeterliği ölçeği türkçe formunun geçerlik ve güvenirliği. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 3(2), 404-415.
  • Arnold, H., & Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and the Internet: Great expectations, challenging realities. Polity.
  • Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. Guilford publications.
  • BTK, (2022). Türkiye'deki Çocukların ve Ebeveynlerin Bilinçli ve Güvenli İnternet Kullanım Deneyim ve Alışkanlıkları Raporu [Report on Conscious and Safe Internet Use Experiences and Habits of Children and Parents in Turkey]. https://www.guvenliweb.org.tr/haber-detay/turkiyedeki-cocuklarin-veebeveynlerin-bilincli-ve-guvenli-internet-kullanim-raporu
  • Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2012). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Pegem Akademi.
  • Büyüköztürk. Ş., Kılıç Çakmak. E., Akgün. Ö. E., Karadeniz. Ş., & Demirel. F. (2018). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri (25. baskı). Pegem Akademi.
  • Cameron, A. (2004). Kurtosis. In Lewis-Beck, M., Bryman, A., & Liao, T.(Ed.). The sage encyclopedia of social science research methods (544-545). SAGE Publications.
  • Chaudron, S., Di Gioia, R., & Gemo, M. (2015). Young children (0-8) and digital technology. A qualitative exploratory study across seven countries. Joint Research Centre. European Commission.
  • Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. W. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: Four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 10(7), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.7275/jyj1-4868
  • Çokluk, Ö., Şekercioğlu, G., & Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2012). Sosyal bilimler için çok değişkenli istatistik SPSS ve LISREL uygulamaları [SPSS and LISREL applications of multivariate statistics for the social sciences.]. Pegem Publishing.
  • Demirel, M., Yörük, M. & Özkan, O. (2013). Safe Internet For Children: A Study on Safe Internet Service and Parental Views. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 4(7), 54-68.
  • DeVellis, R. F. (2016). Scale developMaddeent: Theory and applications (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Dinh, T., Farrugia, L., O’Neill, B., Vandoninck, S. & Velicu, A. (2016). Internet safety helplines: Exploratory study first findings. https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/65358/
  • Doğanç, E. & Korucu, A. T. (2020). Use of safe internet self-efficacy and perception scale for pre-service teachers. Educational Technology Theory and Practice, 10(1), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.17943/etku.623650
  • Elgharnah, K. G. E. & Özdamlı, F. (2020). Determining parents' level of awareness about safe internet use. World Journal on Educational Technology, 12(4), 290-300. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v12i4.5182
  • Field, A. (2009). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4th ed.). Sage.
  • George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference (4th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
  • Güler, H., Şahinkayası, Y. & Şahinkayası, H. (2017). The Penetration of Internet and Mobile Information Technologies: Opportunities and Limitations. Journal of Social Science, 7(14), 186-207.
  • Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2014). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Pearson.
  • Hinduja. S., & Patchin. J. W. (2018). Connecting adolescent suicide to the severity of bullying and cyberbullying. Journal of School Violence. 17(4). 302–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2017.1318561
  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  • Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291575
  • Karadeniz, A. & Akpınar, E. (2017). Internet Attitude Scale: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Anadolu Üniversitesi Journal of Social Sciences, 17(1), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.415626
  • Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Kowalski. R. M., Giumetti. G. W., Schroeder. A. N., & Lattanner. M. R. (2014). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychological Bulletin. 140(4). 1073–1137. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035618
  • Lei, H., Le, P. B., & Nguyen, H. T. H. (2017). How collaborative culture supports for competitive advantage: the mediating role of organizational learning. International Journal of Business Administration, 8(2), 73-85.
  • Livingstone. S., & Helsper. E. J. (2007). Gradations in digital inclusion: Children. young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society. 9(4). 671–696. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444807080335
  • Livingstone, Sonia and Haddon, Leslie and Görzig, Anke & Ólafsson, Kjartan (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: the perspective of European children: full findings and policy implications from the EU Kids Online survey of 9-16 year olds and their parents in 25 countries. EU Kids Online, Deliverable D4. EU Kids Online Network, London, UK.
  • Park, H., Kim, H.S., & Park, H.W. (2021). A scientometric study of digital literacy, ICT literacy, information literacy, and media literacy. Journal of Data and Information Science, 6(2), 116–138. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2021- 0001
  • Rennie, K. M. (1997). Exploratory and confirmatory rotation strategies in exploratory factor analysis. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED406446 adresinden erişilmiştir.
  • Sigman, A. (2012). Time for a view on screen time. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 97(11). 935–942. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2012-302196
  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (6. Baskı). MA: Pearson.
  • Tavşancıl, E. (2010). Tutumların ölçülmesi ve SPSS ile veri analizi (4. baskı). Nobel Yayıncılık.
  • Tavşancil, E., & Keser, H. (2002). Development of a Likert Type Attitude Scale towards Internet Usage. Journal of Educational Sciences & Practices, 1(1).
  • Tekin, A. & Polat, E. (2016). Secondary school students’ parents’ safe internet usage awareness. Journal of Instructional Technologies and Teacher Education, 5(2), 80-92.
  • Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior. 26(3). 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.11.014
  • Torun, Ö. (2008). Investigation of the Perceptions of Students Studying in Public Secondary Education Institutions Regarding Internet Ethics. Unpublished Master Thesis, Marmara University, İstanbul.
  • Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu, (TÜİK, 2021). Çocuklarda Bilişim Teknolojileri Kullanım Araştırması [Research on Children's Use of Information Technologies]. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=CocuklardaBilisim-Teknolojileri-Kullanim-Arastirmasi-2021-41132
  • Wright, M. F. (2017). Cyber victimization and depression among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders: The moderation of perceived social support. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 10(2), 126-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2016.1271486
  • Yasan Ak, N. (2020). Development of Internet literacy self-efficacy scale for pre-service teachers. Turkish Journal of Education, 9(2), 179-204. https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.664706

Ortaokul öğrencileri için bilgi teknolojilerinin güvenli kullanımına yönelik farkındalık ölçeği

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: ISRIS 2025, 54 - 86, 31.07.2025
https://doi.org/10.48146/odusobiad.1724869

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı, ortaokul öğrencilerinin bilgi teknolojilerini güvenli kullanmaya yönelik farkındalık düzeylerini belirlemek amacıyla geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı geliştirmektir. Araştırma, nicel araştırma desenlerinden tarama modeli çerçevesinde yürütülmüştür. Ölçek geliştirme sürecinde, ilgili literatür taranarak oluşturulan 55 maddelik ön form, 390 öğrenciye uygulanarak Açımlayıcı Faktör Analizi (AFA) gerçekleştirilmiştir. AFA sonucunda ölçek, dört faktörlü bir yapıya indirgenmiş ve 23 maddeye düşürülmüştür. Bu dört faktör toplam varyansın %50.210’unu açıklamaktadır. Elde edilen yapı, 512 öğrenciden oluşan farklı bir örnekleme uygulanarak Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi (DFA) ile test edilmiştir. DFA sonucunda elde edilen model uyum değerleri (χ²/sd = 2.019, RMSEA = .045, CFI = .924, TLI = .915, GFI = .927, AGFI = .910, IFI = .925), modelin veriye yüksek düzeyde uyum sağladığını göstermektedir. Faktörler sırasıyla “Siber Zorbalık Farkındalığı ve Etik Davranışlar”, “Sağlıklı Teknoloji Kullanımı”, “Dijital Güvenlik ve Veri Koruma” ve “Dijital Ortamda Sosyal Güvenlik ve Destek Arama” olarak adlandırılmıştır. Cronbach’s Alpha güvenirlik katsayıları boyutlar için .601 ile .861 arasında, ölçeğin geneli için ise .893 olarak bulunmuştur. Bulgular, geliştirilen ölçeğin ortaokul öğrencilerinin güvenli teknoloji kullanımına yönelik farkındalık düzeylerini geçerli ve güvenilir biçimde ölçebileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Bu çalışma “II. International Congress of Integrated Social Research and Interdisciplinary Studies” kongrede sözlü bildirim olarak sunulmuştur (2025). İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa Sosyal ve Beşeri Bilimler Araştırmaları Etik Kurulu, 22/05/2025 tarih ve 2025/354 sayılı kararı ile etik kurul belgesi alınmıştır.

References

  • Akar, F. (2017). Purposes and characteristics of internet use of adolescents. Pegem Journal of Instruction, 7(2), 257 – 286. DOI:10.14527/pegegog.2017.010
  • Akın, A., Kaya, M., Akın, Ü., Sahranç, Ü., & Uğur, E. (2014). İnternet öz-yeterliği ölçeği türkçe formunun geçerlik ve güvenirliği. Bartın University Journal of Faculty of Education, 3(2), 404-415.
  • Arnold, H., & Livingstone, S. (2009). Children and the Internet: Great expectations, challenging realities. Polity.
  • Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. Guilford publications.
  • BTK, (2022). Türkiye'deki Çocukların ve Ebeveynlerin Bilinçli ve Güvenli İnternet Kullanım Deneyim ve Alışkanlıkları Raporu [Report on Conscious and Safe Internet Use Experiences and Habits of Children and Parents in Turkey]. https://www.guvenliweb.org.tr/haber-detay/turkiyedeki-cocuklarin-veebeveynlerin-bilincli-ve-guvenli-internet-kullanim-raporu
  • Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2012). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Pegem Akademi.
  • Büyüköztürk. Ş., Kılıç Çakmak. E., Akgün. Ö. E., Karadeniz. Ş., & Demirel. F. (2018). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri (25. baskı). Pegem Akademi.
  • Cameron, A. (2004). Kurtosis. In Lewis-Beck, M., Bryman, A., & Liao, T.(Ed.). The sage encyclopedia of social science research methods (544-545). SAGE Publications.
  • Chaudron, S., Di Gioia, R., & Gemo, M. (2015). Young children (0-8) and digital technology. A qualitative exploratory study across seven countries. Joint Research Centre. European Commission.
  • Costello, A. B., & Osborne, J. W. (2005). Best practices in exploratory factor analysis: Four recommendations for getting the most from your analysis. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 10(7), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.7275/jyj1-4868
  • Çokluk, Ö., Şekercioğlu, G., & Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2012). Sosyal bilimler için çok değişkenli istatistik SPSS ve LISREL uygulamaları [SPSS and LISREL applications of multivariate statistics for the social sciences.]. Pegem Publishing.
  • Demirel, M., Yörük, M. & Özkan, O. (2013). Safe Internet For Children: A Study on Safe Internet Service and Parental Views. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 4(7), 54-68.
  • DeVellis, R. F. (2016). Scale developMaddeent: Theory and applications (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Dinh, T., Farrugia, L., O’Neill, B., Vandoninck, S. & Velicu, A. (2016). Internet safety helplines: Exploratory study first findings. https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/65358/
  • Doğanç, E. & Korucu, A. T. (2020). Use of safe internet self-efficacy and perception scale for pre-service teachers. Educational Technology Theory and Practice, 10(1), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.17943/etku.623650
  • Elgharnah, K. G. E. & Özdamlı, F. (2020). Determining parents' level of awareness about safe internet use. World Journal on Educational Technology, 12(4), 290-300. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v12i4.5182
  • Field, A. (2009). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4th ed.). Sage.
  • George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference (4th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
  • Güler, H., Şahinkayası, Y. & Şahinkayası, H. (2017). The Penetration of Internet and Mobile Information Technologies: Opportunities and Limitations. Journal of Social Science, 7(14), 186-207.
  • Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2014). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Pearson.
  • Hinduja. S., & Patchin. J. W. (2018). Connecting adolescent suicide to the severity of bullying and cyberbullying. Journal of School Violence. 17(4). 302–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/15388220.2017.1318561
  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
  • Kaiser, H. F. (1974). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika, 39(1), 31-36. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02291575
  • Karadeniz, A. & Akpınar, E. (2017). Internet Attitude Scale: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Anadolu Üniversitesi Journal of Social Sciences, 17(1), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.415626
  • Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Kowalski. R. M., Giumetti. G. W., Schroeder. A. N., & Lattanner. M. R. (2014). Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychological Bulletin. 140(4). 1073–1137. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035618
  • Lei, H., Le, P. B., & Nguyen, H. T. H. (2017). How collaborative culture supports for competitive advantage: the mediating role of organizational learning. International Journal of Business Administration, 8(2), 73-85.
  • Livingstone. S., & Helsper. E. J. (2007). Gradations in digital inclusion: Children. young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society. 9(4). 671–696. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444807080335
  • Livingstone, Sonia and Haddon, Leslie and Görzig, Anke & Ólafsson, Kjartan (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: the perspective of European children: full findings and policy implications from the EU Kids Online survey of 9-16 year olds and their parents in 25 countries. EU Kids Online, Deliverable D4. EU Kids Online Network, London, UK.
  • Park, H., Kim, H.S., & Park, H.W. (2021). A scientometric study of digital literacy, ICT literacy, information literacy, and media literacy. Journal of Data and Information Science, 6(2), 116–138. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2021- 0001
  • Rennie, K. M. (1997). Exploratory and confirmatory rotation strategies in exploratory factor analysis. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED406446 adresinden erişilmiştir.
  • Sigman, A. (2012). Time for a view on screen time. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 97(11). 935–942. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2012-302196
  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (6. Baskı). MA: Pearson.
  • Tavşancıl, E. (2010). Tutumların ölçülmesi ve SPSS ile veri analizi (4. baskı). Nobel Yayıncılık.
  • Tavşancil, E., & Keser, H. (2002). Development of a Likert Type Attitude Scale towards Internet Usage. Journal of Educational Sciences & Practices, 1(1).
  • Tekin, A. & Polat, E. (2016). Secondary school students’ parents’ safe internet usage awareness. Journal of Instructional Technologies and Teacher Education, 5(2), 80-92.
  • Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in Human Behavior. 26(3). 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.11.014
  • Torun, Ö. (2008). Investigation of the Perceptions of Students Studying in Public Secondary Education Institutions Regarding Internet Ethics. Unpublished Master Thesis, Marmara University, İstanbul.
  • Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu, (TÜİK, 2021). Çocuklarda Bilişim Teknolojileri Kullanım Araştırması [Research on Children's Use of Information Technologies]. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=CocuklardaBilisim-Teknolojileri-Kullanim-Arastirmasi-2021-41132
  • Wright, M. F. (2017). Cyber victimization and depression among adolescents with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders: The moderation of perceived social support. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 10(2), 126-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2016.1271486
  • Yasan Ak, N. (2020). Development of Internet literacy self-efficacy scale for pre-service teachers. Turkish Journal of Education, 9(2), 179-204. https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.664706
There are 42 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Other Fields of Education (Other), Scale Development
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Elif Öznur Tokgöz 0000-0001-8028-9251

Hüseyin Serin 0000-0003-3002-8787

Publication Date July 31, 2025
Submission Date June 22, 2025
Acceptance Date July 7, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 15 Issue: ISRIS 2025

Cite

APA Tokgöz, E. Ö., & Serin, H. (2025). Awareness scale for safe use of information technologies for secondary school students. Ordu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Sosyal Bilimler Araştırmaları Dergisi, 15(ISRIS 2025), 54-86. https://doi.org/10.48146/odusobiad.1724869

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