Analysis of parental controls and attitudes toward the use of information technologies by middle school students in terms of different variables

The aim of this research is to reveal the attitudes, behaviors, controls and limitations of middle school student's parents, and their attitudes towards students' use of information technology, and to show the relationship between these attitudes of parents and students' academic success. In this context, an parental attitude scale has been developed and applied to parents. Then students and their parents were interviewed. Since both quantitative and qualitative data were used in the study, the method of research was identified as a mixed method. In the scale development process, first of all, pilot tests were conducted. The obtained data were analyzed and require modifications were made on the scale. After the factor analysis and reliability studies were carried out, the scale was formed as the final version. The survey consisting of demographic questions, the use of technology and the 18-item scale were applied to the parents of 354 6th and 7th grade students studying at seven state schools and four private schools in the center of Elazığ city. In the qualitative data collection phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 randomly selected students and their parents. According to the results obtained for students'achievement as a dependent variable, it was concluded that the students who have computer and internet access at home had significantly higher success than those who do not. The factors were examined separately when determining the relationship between parents' attitudes towards their children's use of information technology and students' achievement scores. It was concluded that parents' attitude scores for the use of technology in education were moderately correlated with positive scores between students' achievement scores of science and technology, information technology, software and foreign language courses. Also, parents' attitudes toward adverse effects of technology were found to have a moderately significant negative correlation between students' achievement scores in science and technology, information technology and software courses. Parents attitudes their children's use of information technology were positive and they supported their students to use information technology especially for educational purposes; but it is clear that parents were worried about their children's potential risks in the virtual environment and security threats, and therefore prevent them by informing, controlling and introducing some limitations. Key Words: Information and communication Technologies (ICT), Parent, Attitude, Control and Limitations, Academic Achievement.