Turkish Teachers' Experiences on the Distance Education Process and Technological Education Tools

Abstract

Education has had an important place throughout history. Education should continue continuously because it shapes society. Education is required to progress in fields such as construction, health, agriculture, transportation, tourism, science, art, literature, etc. Because education is important for the future of society, it continues even in extraordinary situations such as war and epidemics. Education continued remotely during the COVID-19 epidemic, which was considered an extraordinary situation. The COVID-19 virus, which has felt its impact in many areas around the world, has caused changes in some areas in Turkey. The aim of the study is to determine the experiences of Turkish teachers regarding the educational method applied and the technological tools used to continue education during the distance education process. This study also aims to shed light on other studies on how the distance education process can become more efficient. Qualitative research method and case design were preferred in the study, which included the opinions of the Turkish teachers who participated in the study about the distance education process. In the study, it was stated that our teachers as a country were not yet ready for the distance education system, but this process in which we suddenly found ourselves with the pandemic was managed well in line with the possibilities. During the pandemic period distance education process, having communication skills and mastering technology came to the fore as teacher competencies. It has been determined that the most important factor behind students' inability to attend class is the lack of materials. In addition, the most used communication tool during the distance education process during the pandemic period was the phone, while the most used communication application was Whatsapp. It was concluded that Zoom and EBA applications are the most preferred applications after Whatsapp. Various suggestions were made in the light of the findings obtained at the end of the study.