Evaluation of the distance education process during the epidemic period

The aim of this research is to reveal the opinions of education stakeholders (National Education Directorate staff, teachers, students and parents) on the evaluation of the distance education process during the epidemic and to offer suggestions to increase the efficiency of distance education. Case study, one of the qualitative research types, was adopted in the study. In this context, data were collected by conducting interviews with education stakeholders during the compulsory distance education process. A semi-structured interview form was used as a data collection tool. The study group of the research consists of 29 teachers and administrators working in public primary, secondary and high schools in the province of Siirt in the 2021-2022 academic year, civil servants in the 16 Siirt National Education Directorate, 23 students and 22 parents. The views of education stakeholders on distance education were evaluated through content analysis. According to the results of the research, two issues were focused on the definition of distance education. These; technology use and time-space independence. Participants have different opinions about the advantages of distance education compared to face-to-face education. While the majority of MEM staff, teachers and parents mentioned the advantage of distance education being independent of time and place, students; They find indirect distance education advantageous because it is a much more comfortable education. While MEM personnel express the lack of technology and infrastructure and lack of motivation about the disadvantages of distance education compared to face-to-face education, teachers, students and parents emphasize the inability to learn by living and the lack of technological infrastructure. Regarding the efficiency of distance education, from the point of view of MEM staff, teachers, students and parents, most of the participants prefer distance education; they found it inefficient due to the ineffective presentation of the content, technical and infrastructure problems and the nature of distance education. The majority of MEM staff, teachers, students and parents about the sustainability of distance education; He stated that distance education is not sustainable due to socio-economic impossibilities, technical and infrastructure problems, digital information deficiencies in parents and the inequality of opportunity of distance education. Participants about distance education; They suggested educating and supporting the stakeholders of education, strengthening technological material support and infrastructure services. Keywords: Education, Distance Education, Epidemic, Coronavirus, Covid-19.