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This study aims to investigate how Turkish students' involvement in information and communication technologies (ICT) predicts their math and science performance in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. The research also tests demographic variables including socioeconomic status (SES) and gender as covariates. The data were examined through two-step hierarchical regression analyses. Regarding demographics, SES revealed a significant positive contribution to the prediction of math and science performance, whereas gender failed to make a significant contribution. Additionally, after controlling demographics, ICT availability at home significantly and negatively predicted student math and science performance, whilst ICT availability at school was not found to be significantly contributory. Regarding ICT use variables, all constructs significantly predicted student math and science performances, but some negatively contributed to the model, whereas others positively contributed. Amongst ICT attitude variables, all constructs made a significantly positive or negative contribution to predicting both math and science performance, with one exception. Only perceived autonomy in ICT use failed to significantly contribute to the prediction of math performance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that persistent involvement in ICT tends to be related to decreased math and science performance. We propose that policymakers and practitioners drop the myth that ICT use results in better achievement under any circumstances and should therefore refrain from integrating ICT without first undertaking careful planning.

This study aimed to assess the association of smartphone addiction with domains of the big five personality traits (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience) after controlling for individual differences such as age, gender, and amount of daily smartphone and internet use. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, with data gathered from 494 university students using the Turkish adaptation of the Big Five Inventory and Smartphone Addiction Scale. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were applied in order to test two hypotheses. The study put forth that after controlling for the individual differences, the big five personality traits were found to significantly predict smartphone addiction. Agreeableness and conscientiousness were shown to be negative predictors, neuroticism was a positive predictor, and extraversion and openness to experience were not found to be significant predictors. The results of the study are discussed, and some implications are suggested, with revealing the relationship between personality traits and smartphone addiction aiming to help policymakers and practitioners in designing awareness raising activities in schools.

This study aims to explore preservice teachers' opinions about their instructors' use of PowerPoint slides during classes. To this end, 10 preservice teachers were selected through convenience sampling and semi-structured interviews were then conducted. The interviews were held one-by-one and audio recorded after having received permission from the interviewees. The recorded audio data was then transcribed and subsequently coded using QDA Miner Lite analytical software. Data analysis was then carried out by two researchers in order to eliminate bias and to enhance objectivity in the qualitative coding process. The findings indicated that the preservice teachers, in terms of the design and content of their instructors' PowerPoint slides, complained mostly about text inefficiency, whereas they favored the visual aids used in the slides. The findings also indicated that in terms of the perceived effects of using PowerPoint on preservice teachers' learning, they favored the slides because of their simplification of the content, using PowerPoint as multimedia, using PowerPoint slides as course notes, and for following the course content easier. On the other hand, they complained about instructors' frequently just reading from the slides verbatim. The findings of the study may inspire instructors to use PowerPoint more effectively in their classes, and thereby to become better role models to the preservice teachers they are instructing.

This study aims to assess the psychometric properties of the 17-item 3-factors perceived ICT literacy scale in a sample of Turkish undergraduate students. Previous research on measuring ICT literacy mostly focused on the technical competence dimension of the ICT use. The current scale not only considers the technical literacy but it also evaluates the information literacy. The scale consists of three factors, each of which refers to one dimension of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Data were collected from 284 undergraduate students educated at different departments. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using maximum likelihood estimation procedure was applied to test the psychometric properties of the scale. Results of the CFA indicated that the scale showed acceptable levels of validity. Considering the reliability values, all the subscales and the scale as a whole showed adequate reliability values. The limitations of the scale were discussed and some implications were suggested.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of Instructional Technology and Material Development (ITMD) course on the perceptions of teacher candidates' content development competencies with web 2.0 tools and the necessities of these tools. The embedded design, which is a type of mixed-method research design, was used in the study. The study was conducted within the scope of the ITMD course. In the course, teacher candidates were taught theoretical knowledge about instructional technology as well as practice including producing contents with web 2.0 tools. The participants of the study were 54 teacher candidates in a public university in the Department of Elementary Mathematics Teaching in Turkey. Results indicated that teacher candidates' content development competencies differed significantly between their pre- and posttest scores. However, although the pre-post difference in the score of their perceived necessities was in the expected direction, it was not significant. Results were discussed, and some implications were provided.

Non-ethical Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage may be minimized by understanding ethical problems related to the ICT. In addition, successful implementation of ICT requires not only developing practical skills about ICT but also gain basic knowledge regarding ICT ethics. However, in Turkey, only few universities offer courses about ICT ethics. Thus, the rationale behind this study is to teach the basic of ICT ethics to preservice teachers with the aim of raising awareness on this underestimated issue. Accordingly, this instrumental case study aims to investigate prospective teachers' perspectives on ICT ethics and effectiveness of specifically designed course with a case-based instruction to teach the fundamentals of ICT ethics. The data was collected qualitatively before and after the course from 24 prospective teachers selected with convenience sampling. The data was analysed with inductive content analysis and findings indicated prospective teachers, though not having adequate knowledge and awareness, have gained the basics of ICT ethics thanks to the specifically designed course. They favoured the course due to its design and content. This study highlights a need to offer such courses or programs to teach ICT ethics.

Educational social network sites have many uses in the field of education. The present paper aims to determine factors influencing students' behavioral intention to use a popular educational social network site, Edmodo. Using an extension of the technology acceptance model, we analyzed quantitative responses of 218 university students, registered in an Edmodo supported course. Data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results highlighted that intention was significantly predicted by its antecedents. More specifically, the attitude was the most important factor, whilst perceived usefulness had a moderate impact on predicting intention. Perceived ease of use predicted perceived usefulness directly and also it influenced intention indirectly through attitude. External antecedents of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were all significant. Discussion and implications were drawn based on the results.

Internet addiction is regarded to be as a psychological issue with potential sociological effects. Considering this reality in mind, the purpose of this research is to investigate the existence of internet addiction among pre-service ICT teachers. The study also aimed at examining relationships among academic procrastination, general procrastination and internet addiction. Internet Addiction Test (IAT), General or Life Routine Procrastination Scale (GP) and Academic Procrastination (AP) Scale were used as data gathering tools. Adopting survey model, 194 pre service ICT teachers, studying at one of the public universities in Turkey, participated to the study. The results indicated that (1) internet addiction existed among pre-service ICT teachers; (2) there were significant relationships among the variables of academic procrastination, general procrastination and internet addiction, and finally (3) general procrastination was found to be a better predictor than academic procrastination in predicting internet addiction. The findings of the study were discussed in the lights of the literature on internet addiction, general procrastination and academic procrastination.

The purpose of this quasi experimental study is to examine the effectiveness of Facebook in terms of pre-service teachers' attitudes, achievements and satisfactions in comparison to traditional instruction. The sample consisted of 96 pre-service teachers studying at a public university in Turkey. Attitudes towards teaching profession scale, course satisfaction scale and students' course grades were used as data gathering tools. One-Way ANCOVA and two t tests were used as data analysis method. The analysis showed that there were no significant differences in terms of attitudes, achievement and satisfaction between those who used Facebook and who did not. The findings suggest that Facebook did not have a significant effect on pre service teachers' attitudes, achievement and satisfaction.

The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers' academic achievements in terms of different variables such as online self-regulated learning skills and attitudes towards distance education. This study is descriptive in nature. Survey study design was implemented to examine the relationships among variables. The study was implemented at Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Education in Turkey. The study group consists of 114 students from different departments including primary school education, social studies education and preschool education. 84 (73.7%) were females and 30 (26.3%) were males. Ages of the group ranged between 18 and 28 with a mean of 19.42 (SD: 1.30). In Afyon Kocatepe University some courses named "Computer II" and "Principles of Ataturk and the History of Revolution" are presented by using computer based online distance education. We selected "Computer II" as data collection medium. The course was introduced to students for one semester. Online self-regulated learning scale ([alpha]=0.948) and attitude scale towards distance learning ([alpha]=0.835) are used as data instruments. Students' final grades were taken into account as achievement scores to examine the relationship between achievement attitude and self-regulated learning. Pearson's correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA are conducted to analyze collected data. The results showed that online self-regulated learning strategies and attitude towards distance education accounted for 15% of variation of students' achievement. Attitude made a significant contribution to the prediction of achievement while the sub factors of self-regulated learning did not make a significant contribution to achievement. (Contains 4 tables.)

The purpose of this study is to examine the instructional high school chemistry videos on EBA in line with Gagne's nine events of instruction. Content analysis was used to examine the chemistry videos on EBA are appropriate in accordance with Gagne's nine events of instruction. Content analysis can be conducted in both quantitative and qualitative ways. Hence, a quantitative media content analysis was adopted as a method of design considering the aim of study. Four instructional designers, who are experts in the field, evaluated the appropriateness of the instructional videos. Two different equal groups were formed. Both of them independently evaluated the qualities of the videos according to the phases of Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction. A scoring rubric was developed by the researchers in order to evaluate the quality of each video on the basis of those phases. Each learning phase in the instructional videos were checked and scored by the experts. Findings indicated that there was a certain need to improve the quality of chemistry videos on EBA website. Consequently, the instructional videos on EBA found not good enough to promote a positive attitude towards the chemistry class, because some phases of the nine events of instruction are missing or needs to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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