An analysis of the changes in education in Turkey during COVID-19 pandemic: Problems, opportunities and inequality

With the Covid-19 pandemic, which emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019 and affected the whole world, measures have begun to be taken quickly in the field of education, as in all areas of life. After the epidemic broke out, education was suspended, and then it was announced that the suspended education activities would be continued through distance education. The closure of schools within the framework of the measures taken has forced students to study in digital environments. This new and unusual situation has brought along some opportunities as well as problems and discussions. Within the scope of this study, it is aimed to analyze the transformation in education during the pandemic process by evaluating the views of university students who receive distance education during the Covid-19 pandemic process and their perspectives on the distance education system. For this purpose, a questionnaire consisting of two parts was applied to 300 university students who received distance education during the pandemic process. According to the results of the research, it has been determined that the students are successful in the distance education process, their grades are high, but they see themselves as partially competent in the courses taken in this process. In addition, it was stated that the students found the technical support they received in connection and internet problems partially sufficient. However, it is seen that the rate of preference for distance education is low after the pandemic. In the study, attitudes towards distance education, opportunities and satisfaction, attitudes towards faculty members, attitudes towards online exams, attitudes towards communication and access, and attitudes towards comparison were examined. As a result of the findings, it was determined that each factor produced significantly higher results.