Social networking sites are generally used for communication, social .... It can be stated that a common social network platform, where both sides can use, exists.
EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION
Students and Teachers on Facebook: Usage Purposes and Adoption
Author(s):Sinan Keskin (presenting), Yasemin Koçak Usluel Conference:ECER 2016, Leading Education: The Distinct Contributions of Educational Research and Researchers Network:Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference) Format:Paper
Session Information ERG SES C 09, Learning in Education Paper Session Time:2016-08-22 11:00-12:30 Room:OB-H1.12 Chair:Javier Diez-Palomar
Contribution Students and Teachers on Facebook: Usage Purposes and Adoption
Social networking sites are generally used for communication, social interaction, networking, collaboration, and entertainment purposes (Hew 2011; Selwyn, 2009; Usluel & Atal 2013). Although there are some research results in literature that social networking sites are used for collaboration, communication and information sharing purposes in educational context, there are also results stating that this usage is limited and social networking sites are not used that much in learning-teaching processes (Lampe, Wohn, Vitak, Ellison, & Wash., 2011; Usluel & Mazman, 2009; Usluel & Atal, 2013). It draws attention that studies on the variable of the adoption of social networking sites gain intensity due to the fact that potential of social networks in educational respect and they are widely used. These studies are based on theories and models such as “Diffusion of Innovation Theory (Rogers, 1962)”, “Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985)”, “Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989)” and “Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis, 2003)”. In parallel with the innovation in technology and its applications, it is seen that recent constructs are added to current theories and models. In this way, new models are suggested (Kwon & Wen, 2010; Lin & Lu, 2011; Nah & Saxton, 2013). However; it may be set forth that studies conducted through a complex approach are required to be performed in this respect, rather than the ones based on a single theory or model due to complex nature of social networking sites. The fact is that context, innovation and user characteristics influence user acceptance and adoption behavior (Mun, Jackson, Park & Probst, 2006). In this study, theoretical framework was established through a complex approach while analyzing the adoption process of social networking sites. According to this, adoption factors were determined as usefulness (Davis, 1989), ease of use (Davis, 1989; Rogers, 2003), social influence (Venkatesh, et al., 2003), facilitating conditions (Venkatesh et al.,
2003) and community identity (Venkatesh et al., 2003). The literature review on this matter shows that usefulness (Mazman & Usluel, 2010) and social influence (Sánchez, Cortijo & Javed, 2014) are identified as the most important factors in the adoption of social networking sites. In the study by Bonero et al. (2014) on undergraduate students, social influence, effort expectancy (ease of use) and performance expectancy (perceived usefulness) were found to be statistically significant predictor of behavioral intention. According to the Social Bakers’ report (2011), Turkey is the fourth country in the world in terms of number of Facebook users. Therefore, it can be stated that Facebook has largely accomplished its adoption process in Turkey. In this case how the possible potential of social networking sites can be utilized in educational contexts is taken as a major issue. From this point, the aim of this study in the educational context, is the comparative examination of teachers’ and students’ Facebook usage purposes and their adoption processes. Method Casual-comparative research method was used. The study group consists of 588 Facebook users (365 teachers and 223 students) who have responded to the measurement tools. The data were gathered through a personal information form, "Social Network Adoption Scale" (Usluel & Mazman, 2009), and "The Usage Purposes Scale of Social Networks" (Usluel, Demir & Çınar, 2014). The first scale contains five factors, which are usefulness, ease of use, social influence, facilitating conditions and community identity; while the second one includes seven factors, which are research, collaboration, communication (initiating; constructing; sustaining), sharing content and entertainment. Data were collected via Google Drive’s Form function. For the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics and independent sample t-test was performed. Relative size of the effects were calculated based on standardized estimates of effect size according to Cohen’s d benchmarks. Cohen (1988) defined effect sizes as "small, d = .2," "medium, d = .5," and "large, d = .8". Expected Outcomes The analysis of the usage purposes of Facebook of teachers and students shows that there is a statistically significant difference (p≤.05, higher for students) in terms of usage for research (t(586)=-1.96, d=.17), initiating communication (t(586)= -7.66, d=.66), constructing communication (t(586)= -3.16, d=.27), sharing content (t(586)= -2.18, d=.18) and entertainment (t(586)= -2.46, d=.21). On the other hand, as for Facebook's usage for collaboration and sustaining communication no statistically significant difference was found between groups. Teachers' and students' Facebook adoption factors, which are ordered according to mean scores, are as follows: ease of use, facilitating conditions, usefulness, community identity and social influence. According to the independent sampling t-test analyses, it is found that there is a statistically significant but low-impact difference in favor of students, only for the social influence factor (t(586)=-3.08, p≤.05, Cohen d=.27). Indeed, the scale adaptation study concerning social network adoption, social influence was found to be the factor with the least variance (Usluel, Kokoç, Sarıca & Akar, 2016). In conclusion, it is suggested that similar factors affect the students' and teachers' Facebook adoption process. It can be stated that a common social network platform, where both sides can use, exists. In this case, the next question is how this platform can be used for production in the educational context. While trying to find an answer to this question, taking only the formal learning process into account would be a restricted approach. Therefore, it may be enlightening for instructional designers, implementers and decision-makers to conduct applied studies that also consider informal learning to enable the use of these media for production in the educational context. References Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 319-340. Hew, K. F. (2011). Students’ and teachers’ use of Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 662-676. Kwon, O., & Wen, Y. (2010). An empirical study of the factors affecting social network service use. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(2), 254-263. Lampe, C., Wohn, D., Vitak, J., Ellison, N., & Wash, R. (2011). Student use of Facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 6(3), 329-347. Lin, K. Y., & Lu, H. P. (2011). Why people use social networking sites: An empirical study integrating network externalities and motivation theory. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(3), 1152-1161. Mazman, S. G. & Usluel, Y. K. (2011). Gender differences in using social networks. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10 (2), 133-139. Mun, Y. Y., Jackson, J. D., Park, J. S., & Probst, J. C. (2006). Understanding information technology acceptance by individual professionals: Toward an integrative view. Information & Management, 43(3), 350-363. Nah, S., & Saxton, G. D. (2013). Modeling the adoption and use of social media by nonprofit organizations. New Media & Society, 15(2), 294-313.
Rogers, E. M. (1962). Diffusion of innovations. Free Press. Sánchez, R. A., Cortijo, V., & Javed, U. (2014). Students’ Perceptions of Facebook for Academic Purposes. Computers & Education, 70, 138-149. Selwyn, N. (2009). Faceworking: exploring students' education‐related use of Facebook. Learning, Media and Technology, 34(2), 157-174. Socialbakers. (2011). Turkey is Facebook world country No. 4. [Online: http://www.socialbakers.com/blog/207-turkey-is-facebook-world-country-no-4] Access date: 01 January 2016. Usluel, Y. K. & Atal, D. (2013). Students approach to social network in educational context. The international journal of web communities, 9(2), 188-198. Usluel, Y.K., Demir, Ö. & Çınar, M. (2014). Sosyal ağların kullanım amaçları ölçeği. Eğitim Teknolojileri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 5(2). Usluel, Y. K., Kokoç, M., Sarıca, H. Ç., & Akar, S. G. M. (2016). English version of Social Networks Adoption Scale: A validation study. Telematics and Informatics, 33(2), 484-492. Usluel, Y. K. & Mazman, S. G. (2009). Sosyal ağların benimsenmesi ölçeği. Educational Sciences & Practice. 8(15). 137-157. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B. & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of informatıon technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425-478. This proposal is part of a master or doctoral thesis.
Author Information Sinan Keskin (presenting) Yuzuncu Yil University Computer Education and Instructional Technology Ankara Yasemin Koçak Usluel Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology,Turkey
