Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of Turkish students attending Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium in Bad Säckingen in the state of Baden Württemberg, Germany, in terms of using media tools. Of the qualitative data collecting tools, an interview method was applied in the research. In the context of this research, interviews were carried out with 13 students attending Hauptschule, 14 students at Realschule, and 8 students at Gymnasium, using semi-structured interview forms prepared by the researchers. The questions were prepared considering the media tools the students were using widely at the end of an observation lasting a whole year. The data acquired at the end of the student interviews was analysed using a content analysis method. The results showed a similarity in terms of the preferred media tools and the time the students spent on these media tools. It was concluded that there was a close similarity in the period students spent daily on television, on the internet, and on their mobile phones; the students attending Hauptschule and Realschule mostly preferred Turkish channels and programs, while the Gymnasium students did not in general make any distinction between the Turkish and German channels; what the students mostly preferred were TV series and game programs; students attending these three schools did not read newspapers and journals much, but sometimes books; the period spent on reading books was slightly higher in the Gymnasium students; and the students at all these three schools used the internet mostly for similar interests (such as for accessing social networks, watching and downloading videos/films, playing games, and obtaining information).

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