Evaluation of distance education applications according to the opinions of secondary school teachers and students during the pandemic process

In this study, it is aimed to reveal the opinions and thoughts of the teachers working in secondary schools in Mersin city center and secondary school students regarding distance education practices during the pandemic process. The Covid 19 virus epidemic, which started in 2020, has affected every field, especially the education sector. In this process, education and training activities have largely ceased to be face-to-face and continued with distance education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the picture revealed by the educational practices carried out during the pandemic period from the perspective of secondary school teachers and students. The phenomenology model, one of the qualitative research models, was used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 18 social studies teachers and 18 secondary school students working in secondary schools in the center of Mersin. In the research, a semi-structured interview form was applied to the participating students and teachers. In the preparation of the interview form, the opinions of 3 expert academicians in the field of social studies were consulted. The data obtained in the research were transferred to a Microsoft Word file in the computer environment and converted into text. At the end of the research, when the opinions of secondary school teachers and students working in secondary school are examined; It has been observed that students do not find distance education productive and complain that they do not understand the subjects sufficiently. It has been determined that students prefer face-to-face education rather than distance education. Secondary school students stated that the quality of distance education is low in terms of lesson efficiency, there is a low level of participation in class participation, they have problems in accessing lessons, distance education does not provide learning convenience in lessons, and they do not have a good socialization process. Majority of the secondary school teachers who participated in the research stated that the lessons were not efficient, the students' participation in the lesson was low, the students did not have easy access to the lesson, the students had learning difficulties in the lessons, the socialization was insufficient and the students could not socialize. The secondary school teachers who participated in the research stated the following views on the problems they encountered during the teaching of the course: Computer, laptop, etc. Lack of equipment, lack of internet infrastructure, inability to use distance education tools, internet access problem, disconnection, low motivation, families not interested in students, lack of measurement and evaluation system, student absenteeism problem, student indifference, lack of student participation in class, seriousness of students quitting, lack of one-to-one communication, insufficient interaction, and problems in classroom management. Keywords: Education, Distance Education, Pandemic, Secondary school students, Secondary school teachers