The effect of social media applications used in schools on education from the perspective of school administrators, teachers and parents: The case of Çorum Province

In this research, it is aimed to examine the effects of social media applications used in primary schools on education and training processes from the perspective of administrators, teachers and parents, to identify problems and to offer solutions to the identified problems. The research was carried out in Çorum Province, and the opinions of 8 school administrators, 8 primary school teachers and 8 parents of primary school students who were currently working in a primary school in the city center were taken. In this study, which was conducted with a qualitative research design, the phenomenological pattern was used, and the data obtained through the semi-structured interview method were categorized and examined within the framework of certain themes. Within the scope of the research, how the participants defined the concept of social media, their opinions about the positive and negative effects of social media on students' educational lives, and their suggestions for increasing the positive effect of social media on educational processes and reducing or eliminating its negative effects were taken. In the research, it is seen that school administrators, teachers and parents mostly associate the concept of social media with the concepts of communication and correspondence. Participants, who use various social media applications for different reasons, use web 2.0 tools developed for educational purposes to contribute to the education of students. In addition, it has been determined that web 2.0 tools are associated with the concept of social media due to their features such as connecting, producing content, sharing and giving feedback without limitation of time and place. Positive effects of social media applications on education and training processes; It has been determined that it provides quick access to the desired information, being connected online, supporting cooperation, ensuring permanence in learning, giving the opportunity for repetition, being interesting for children, and improving creativity. Negative effects of social media for primary school children; Exposure to content that is not suitable for the individual, causing addiction, causing loss of time; Health problems due to lack of movement in the individual, alienation from real life, asociality, and psychological problems due to cyber bullying have been identified. In order to increase, reduce or eliminate the positive effects of social media applications on the education of primary school children; It is recommended to provide children with social media literacy, to raise parents' awareness, to direct children's interest in social media applications with educational content prepared and shared by educators specifically for social media environments, to develop filtering options specific to age groups by social media providers, and to provide parental control for child age groups.