The effect of media literacy on perception of television serials' messages for high school 10th grade students

The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness level of media literacy education which was put into practice for 10th grade high school students on perception of their media messages on television serials. In the framework of this main aim, importance of media literacy, effectiveness level of media literacy training on students? critical thinking ability and students? perception levels of messages on television serials and opinions of students about media and television serials were studied by the researcher. The study results were analyzed according to the variable of gender. In this study, pre-test and post-test experimental method was used with control group. The study universe is composed of 10th grade students from Çanakkale High School in Çanakkale. The study sample is composed of 20 students as control group chosen by random sampling among the study universe. The students from the experimental group were given a ?twelve hours media literacy education? and after that ?Media Literacy Evaluation Form? was used for experimental and control group students as pre-test and post-test. In order to analyze the data, frequency and mean values for students? describing results, t test for determining the significant differences between pre-test and post-test results of variables and Two- Way ANOVA for Independent Samples for determining the significant differences between pre-test and post-test results according to variables of gender were used. The research results reveal that ?Media Literacy Training? develops the students? awareness level about media messages and brings in critical thinking ability to students on media messages and earns evaluation and analysis ability to students about television serials. The students were agreeable on importance of media literacy.