Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
III. Uluslarlarası Coğrafya Eğitimi Kongresi, Sivas, Türkiye, 14 - 17 Ekim 2021, ss.407-408
In our age, where the world has become a small village with communication technologies, the
internet is leading these communication tools; Because what makes the internet so important is that the
user is actively involved in communication and reveals his vital reality by making television
broadcasting, video sharing and visual sharing, apart from classical news exchange. It is seen that the
educational environment has changed and transformed with the technological devices and the general
network, which are at the center of our lives. Tablet computers, smart boards, computers and smart
mobile phones, which contain all of them, are also frequently used in educational activities. Teachers,
trainers and many professionals share their knowledge and experience with their followers, either
formally or informally, using social media tools. This means the rapid dissemination of information
for everyone, quickly and free of charge. By sharing lecture notes, lectures and lecture activities
related to their branches, teachers had the opportunity to reach both their own students and students
located in a very wide geography outside of them. Especially the social media application on smart
mobile phones is important in this context. Instagram, which is one of the social media applications on
smart mobile phones, is in the 1st place in Turkey at the age of 13, according to the 2021 Digital
Global Report organized by We Are Social and Hootsuite. Considering the general and specific
objectives of the Social Studies course, it is thought that the use of social media may affect Social
Studies courses more than other courses. In this study; The effect of the use of Instagram in the Social
Studies course on the learning processes of secondary school students was examined. The fact that the
average age is concentrated in the middle school age and the use of Instagram in Turkey is in the 1st
place from this average age, and the fact that Instagram is the second social media application used
after Youtube in Turkey makes Instagram important in education. The study group of the research
consisted of 12 secondary school 7th grade students who were determined on a voluntary basis among
those who used the Instagram application. The reason why 7th grade students were preferred in the
study; According to the data of the Global Digital Report 2021, Turkey is the 1st in the world in the
use of Instagram with the age of 13. The research was conducted with a case study, which is one of the
qualitative research methods. The research data were collected through face-to-face interviews
(interviews) with the participants. In addition, data collection with audio recording was supported by
obtaining the permission of the participants. The collected data were evaluated through content
analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that the students used their Instagram accounts
related to the Social Studies course especially before the exam and to make up for the lessons they
missed at school. In addition, 7th grade students frequently use Instagram to prepare for the High
School Entrance Exam. Some of the students state that they follow the accounts by drawing attention
to the whole caricatured funny information. All these results give an idea that this platform can be
used for education with the increase in the use of Instagram. It is recommended to increase the use of
social media in academic studies, especially in Social Studies courses, within the scope of students,
teachers and teaching programs.
Keywords: Instagram, Social Media, 7th Grade Students, Social Studies