An investigation of technology usage levels of preschool and primary school students

This study aimed to determine the information and communication technologies usage levels of preschool and primary school students. The relationships between education level and technology use were examined in terms of certain variables such as gender, age, grade level, parents' educational status, income, and the number of siblings. The researcher used the scanning model. The study sample consisted of 400 preschool and 407 primary school students (1, 2, 3, and 4-grades) from five state schools in Kırşehir in the spring term of the 2018-2019 academic year. Among the schools, four were preschool, and one was a primary school. The study data was collected using a tool developed by Konca (2014) and revised by the researcher for the current study. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 23 package program. The study results revealed that the participant students had high technology usage levels and lived in a rich technological environment. It was also observed that they spent long hours watching television and spent minimum time in front of computers. Although there was no significant difference in students' use of technology, primary school students mainly used technology for getting information. The primary school students' parents indicated that technology was harmful to primary school students' mental vi and physical development. It was concluded that children mostly used technology in the living room and learned how to use technology independently. Besides, primary school students had more access to technology than preschool students.