Students’ views about computer use: Interviews with 8th graders

We aimed to explore 8th grade students’ computer use in this research. We carried out the research at Ya ar Do u Elementary School in Kavak, a district of Samsun province in Turkey. We implemented semi-structured interviews to collect the data. We selected our sample from among volunteers of 3 different classes, striving to select students with different characteristics. Our study group consisted of 3 girls and 4 boys. We recorded interviews with a video camera. We found that students have Internet access in the home; they learn to use computers from their family members and relatives; they think computers positively affect their social lives; they mostly use computers on recreational days; they mostly use computers for fun, although they also do homework and online assignments with computers and the Internet; they do not follow any electronic media or publications; and they think that only their mothers lack knowledge about computers among the family members.