The evaluation of E-commerce in social studies education according to teacher's opinions

Today, e-commerce has a great importance in social studies course. Social studies course is considered as a course that enables students to understand the economic, social and cultural structure of society. E-commerce has a significant impact on these areas and therefore it is one of the subjects that should be covered in the social studies course. Digitalization and technology are one of the most important developments of the century we live in. With the developing technology, digitalization and e-commerce have become an indispensable part of human life. Wherever there is belief, there is consumption. It is extremely important that a phenomenon that affects daily life so much is transferred to students in the education and training process. Teachers have an important role in transferring information about this phenomenon to students. This study was carried out to determine the opinions of teachers working in the central districts of Mersin about the phenomenon of e-commerce. The sample of the research consists of social studies teachers working in secondary schools. Open-ended questions were directed to the participants in order to learn their views on the phenomenon of e-commerce. In this study, qualitative research method was used to determine the level of reflection of the data related to e-commerce. Interview and data analysis techniques were used for the data collection method. After analyzing the 7th grade social studies textbook, it was preferred to conduct research with a semi-structured interview form. Information about data privacy was given to the teachers about the interviews. In the findings, teachers expressed a common opinion on the benefits of e-commerce in general. In the interview, the teachers stated that having easy access whenever they want is saving time and space. They stated that it is important to give the necessary education to the students about this phenomenon, but this phenomenon is not sufficiently included in the social studies curriculum. In the social studies course, it is important to examine the economic dimension of e-commerce while teaching the basic principles of economy to students. E-commerce is a platform where social relations are formed. Interactions take place between customers and businesses through social media and other online platforms. Social studies course can also evaluate this social dimension of e-commerce while explaining the structure of society to students. For example, topics such as the effects of social media on e-commerce, consumer behavior and digital citizenship can be addressed. After the implementation of this research on teachers, it was observed that the participants gained awareness of their views on this phenomenon. This situation led to the emergence of deficiencies in the program. This research is important in terms of raising awareness of students under the leadership of teachers.