Examining the Digital Literacy Levels of Syrian Refugee University Students

Cemal Akyol

doi:10.18535/ijsrm/v13i02.el01

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the digital literacy levels of Syrian refugee students studying at universities in Turkey across different variables. A descriptive survey model was used in the research. The sample of the study consisted of 184 Syrian university students studying at Selçuk University in Konya. The "Student Information Form" and the "Digital Literacy Scale" were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data, independent sample t-tests and ANOVA analysis were conducted using the SPSS software package.

According to the findings, the digital literacy levels of Syrian university students were found to be above average. The study concluded that there was no significant difference in digital literacy scores between male and female students. Additionally, the digital literacy scores of 4th-year students were found to be significantly higher than those of 1st-year students. An analysis of age groups revealed that the digital literacy scores of students aged 19-21 were significantly higher than those of students aged 25-27.

Keywords

digital literacymigrantSyrian student

References

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[refR-2] Dogan, D. (2020). Digital Literacy-Writing Perceptions of University Students About Self. Journal of Technology Applications in Education, 1(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.29329/jtae.2020.283.2.DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-3] Erdemir, B. (2022), "Higher Education Policies for Syrian Refugees in Turkey: Opportunities and Challenges for Syrian and Turkish Students", Wiseman, A.W. (Ed.) Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2021 (International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 42A), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 185-205. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-36792022000042A015DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-4] Erdoğan, A., Erdoğan, M.M. (2020). Syrian University Students in Turkish Higher Education: Immediate Vulnerabilities, Future Challenges for the European Higher Education Area. In: Curaj, A., Deca, L., Pricopie, R. (eds) European Higher Education Area: Challenges for a New Decade. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56316-5_16DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-5] Erdoğan, A., Erdoğan, M.M. (2021). Facilitating Access of Syrian Refugees to Higher Education in Turkey as an Instrument for Integration. In: Berg, J., Grüttner, M., Streitwieser, B. (eds) Refugees in Higher Education. Higher Education Research and Science Studies. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-33338-6_8DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-6] Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93–106.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-7] Hague, C., & Payton, S. (2010). Digital literacy across the curriculum. Futurelab.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-8] Holm, P. (2024). Impact of digital literacy on academic achievement: Evidence from an online anatomy and physiology course. E-Learning and Digital Media, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530241232489DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-9] Keeley, B. (2009). International Migration: The Human Face of Globalisation. OECD Publishing.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-10] Levent, F., Öksüz Gül, F., & Aydemir, T. (2021). The University Experiences of Syrian Students in Turkey. *Milli Eğitim*, 50(Special Issue), 807–835. https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.873198.DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-11] Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. (2007). Gradations in digital inclusion: children, young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society, 9(4), 671-696. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444807080335DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-12] Narmanlıoğlu, H., & Bayrakcı, S. (2023). Surviving in the Digital Space: Digital Literacy of Syrian Immigrants in Turkey. Türkiye İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi(43), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.17829/turcom.1309961DOI ↗Google Scholar ↗

[refR-13] Ng, W. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers & Education, 59, 1065-1078.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-14] Pedersen, A. Y. (2018). Digital Literacy and Learning Culture in Higher Education. Routledge.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-15] Stark, Oded & Bloom, David E. (1985). The New Economics of Labor Migration. American Economic Review: Papers & Proceedings, 75 S 2, ss. 173-178.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-16] Vollmer, S. (2020) The Digital Literacy Practices of Newly Arrived Syrian Refugees: a Spatio-Visual Linguistic Ethnography. PhD thesis, University of Leeds.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-17] YÖK (2021). Higher Education Information Management System, 2019–2020 Academic Year Statistics.Google Scholar ↗