A Study on the Perceived Media Literacy Level of Preparatory Year Students in a University Setting

Abstract

Media literacy is defined as the ability to encode and decode the symbols transmitted via media and to synthesize, analyze and produce mediated messages. Media literacy raises questions about the impact of media and technology, which has the potential to increase individuals' awareness about the effects of media on daily life. The aim of media literacy is to help students become competent, critical and literate in media forms because they need to interpret what they see or hear and prevent the interpretation from controlling them. Therefore, perceptions of students about their media literacy is a topic that requires attention at various education levels. The present study aimed to identify preparatory year program students' self-perceptions about media literacy and to explore whether they benefited from mass media in learning a foreign language, English in this context. Data were collected using Media Literacy Level Determination Scale developed by Karatas (2008). Open-ended questions that aimed to reveal students' perceptions of media literacy were asked with a view to supporting the data obtained from the scale. Both data collection tools also aimed to find out the factors associated with media literacy. The findings of the study are believed to open a perspective for the stakeholders in language teaching process by providing insight into the university students' stance towards media literacy.

Ukrainian HEI Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Fostering Media Literacy and Critical Thinking in EFL Learning

“…The findings showed that people were attracted to media literacy programs that reflected the values they held as the most important ones in their lives. Akcayoglu and Daggol (2019) pointed out that most students considered media helpful in learning a foreign language, and they regarded the Internet as the most important tool for media consumption.…”

“…Similar data are reported by scholars who have studied the media preferences of HEI students in other countries. They found out that the vast majority of students preferred online news, both national and international, singling out the rise in the importance of social media and non-mainstream news for the generation of millennials (Al Subaihi, 2023;Akcayoglu & Daggol, 2019).…”

News/Entertainment Social Media Engagement and Social Media Health Literacy: Effects on Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19 Lockdown

“…(Arik & Arik, 2021). It helps people understand how to interpret what they see and hear without letting that interpretation take over their lives (Akcayoglu & Daggol, 2019). This concept has been applied to the health field and implies the knowledge to use health-related information technology-electronic health literacy-the ability to read, use computers, search for information, and understand and contextualize health information (Norman & Skinner, 2006).…”

Media discourse competence in teaching foreign languages

“…Смартфондар музыка тыңдау, фильм көру, суретке түсу және достармен сөйлесу үшін қолданылады. Сабақта ақпарат құралдарын пайдалану классикалық мұғалім мен оқушы қарымқатынасына да әсер етеді [1]. Сыныпта мұғалім енді ақпарат пен білімнің жалғыз таратушысы емес: ол (а) оқушыны тиісті ақпарат көздерін іздеуге бағыттайды.…”