SAFE TECHNOLOGY USE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY ON AWARENESS LEVELS AND EXPERIENCES

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the awareness levels of secondary school students regarding safe technology use and to examine whether these levels differ according to various variables. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 668 students during the 2025–2026 academic year using the “Awareness Scale for Safe Use of Information Technologies in Secondary School Students.” Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 18 students selected from different grade levels. According to the quantitative findings, the overall mean score indicated that students’ awareness levels of safe technology use were high. In terms of gender, a significant difference was found only in the dimension of “Digital Social Security and Help-Seeking,” favoring female students. Regarding grade level, the analysis revealed that 5th grade students’ awareness scores were significantly lower compared to upper grade levels. The qualitative findings, analyzed through thematic analysis, showed that students particularly considered family as a reliable source of support; they tended to prefer safe websites, avoid suspicious links, and develop self-regulation strategies for healthy technology use. In conclusion, secondary school students generally demonstrated high levels of awareness regarding safe technology use, although age and experience differences were found to influence this awareness. The findings of this study provide guiding insights for the development of educational policies and programs focusing on digital security, healthy technology use, and cyberbullying.