Examining Pre-Service Teachers’ Nomophobia Levels in Terms of Several Variables

Gökçe Beci̇t İşçi̇türk

doi:10.5539/jel.v9n6p21

Abstract

This study aims to determine the nomophobia levels of pre-service teachers, the variables affecting their nomophobia levels, and the relationship between the levels of nomophobia and cyberloafing. The study, which was designed as a correlational study, was conducted with the voluntary participation of 666 pre-service teachers. The data of the study were collected using a personal information form, the Nomophobia Scale (NMP-Q), and the Cyberloafing Scale. The results showed that 528 students (79.3%) had a moderate and high level of nomophobia while 138 students (20.7%) had a low level of nomophobia. As a result of the analyses conducted to determine whether the nomophobia levels of teacher trainees differed depending on gender, it was seen that the nomophobia level of women was statistically higher than that of men. It was concluded that the nomophobia levels of the pre-service teachers did not vary depending on the level of education and their experience of using smartphones. Although, the results gathered from the first analysis results indicated that the nomophobia levels of the pre-service teachers depicted difference concerning the departments at which they studied, this difference proved insignificant as indicated by the anteceding detailed analyses carried out. It was concluded that the nomophobia levels of the pre-service teachers differed significantly depending upon the amount of time they spend on social media. The last finding of the study concluded that cyberloafing significantly predicted nomophobia levels of pre-service teachers. Based on this result, it can be said that the pre-service teachers&rsquo; cyberloafing behaviors will increase their tendency to exhibit nomophobic behaviors. For further research, mixed studies in which qualitative methods will also be used to obtain more in-depth data can be designed. It was also found out that the nomophobia levels of the pre-service teachers differed significantly based on their daily social media usage time.

Highlights

The rapid developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) have affected the mobile phones that we commonly use in communication processes in all areas of our lives
It was concluded that the nomophobia levels of the pre-service teachers differed significantly depending upon the amount of time they spend on social media
The study aims to define the relationship between the nomophobia levels of the pre-service teachers, the variables affecting the nomophobia levels, and the relationship between the levels of nomophobia and cyberloafing

Summary

Introduction

The rapid developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) have affected the mobile phones that we commonly use in communication processes in all areas of our lives. The intense use of smartphones to such extent has made the Internet accessible at any time. As their functionality and capabilities are increasing, so are the problems associated with mobile phones and their negative effects on individuals (Hong, Chiu, & Huang, 2012). Through mobile phone applications that we use sometimes as a bank, sometimes as a mall, and sometimes as a library, our lives are getting more convenient, some of the disadvantages and illnesses that might be caused by these smartphones in the spheres of our daily life and educational environments are addiction, attention-deficit, empathy disorder, decrease in academic success due to disrupted learning, hypertension, obesity, anxiety, depression, personality disorder, anger, insatiateness and loneliness (Adnan & Gezgin, 2016). “Problematic smartphone use” (Billieux et al, 2010, p. 602) has brought about concepts such as smartphone jel.ccsenet.org

Objectives

Methods

Results