A Social Network Analysis for Students’ Personal Traits and Performance

Öğrencilerin Kişilik Özellikleri ve Performanslarına İlişkin Bir Sosyal Ağ Analizi

Abstract

Introduction Classes are the most main places where relationships among students are formed. These relationships create big networks and have significant effects on student behaviors. This study aimed to determine the most or least preferred students and the possible reasons to get information concerning the use of computer technologies for the purposes such as lecturing, doing homework or producing digital course materials and to examine these students’ performance scores and personality traits. Variables such as personal traits, the extent to which students are preferred, and their performance scores- which are considered separately in the literature - are considered together in this study. It is thought that analysing those variables would be important in training educators in number of ways and in improving the educational reforms as well as in understanding the social dimensions of learning relations formed in classrooms and seeing the effects of those relations on learning outputs. Methodology Embedded design model, one of the mixed models in which quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques are used together, is employed in this study. The research for the study was conducted with 22 female participants attending the pre-school teaching department of the educational faculty of a private university in Ankara and taking the course of instructional technologies and materials design in the 2015-2016 academic year. Digital materials were designed and developed by students in the course. The process of material development lasted approximately 12 weeks. The interview form developed by the researchers was used in collecting the data needed for the application of social network analysis (SNA). Personality Scale based on Five Factors Theory, which was developed by Bacanlı, Ilhan and Aslan (2009), was used to determine students’ personal traits. Students’ performance scores in relation to the materials developed were considered here. Social Network Analysis was performed so as to find which student is preferred by classmates and which student is not preferred during lessons. Pearson’s correlations coefficient was calculated for the correlations between variables determined within the scope of the study. In the analysis of the quantitative data concerning the reasons why certain students are preferred in reaching knowledge, on the other hand, descriptive analysis was used. Results The students who were consulted the most and had the highest levels of closeness centrality were a2, a5, and a16, respectively. The students coded as a21 and a22 were the ones who were not asked for their opinions and who had the lowest levels of closeness centrality. No significant correlations were found between being the most students and those students’ personal traits. However, positive, significant and high correlations were found between their performance in classes and their closeness centrality scores. It was found that those who were preferred most had performance above average whereas those who were preferred least had performance below average and that therefore there were significant correlations between the two. The findings showed that the reasons why certain students were preferred in reaching knowledge were related rather with those students’ personal traits according to their classmates. These data are followed by thoughts in relation to lessons and homework. The data obtained were divided into 4 categories: General personal traits, personal traits in relation to classes, lessons-homework, and other. Discussion and Conclusion The findings obtained can be important in learning relations created in classrooms and cooperative activities. Students preferred in group work can be distributed equally into groups, and thus it can be assured that they play triggering roles. In this way, the learning relations and levels in a classroom can change positively. Recommendations may be made to prospective researchers to support research results or to make sure that different aspects are also discovered. The study group under analysis can be considered as a whole department without restricting them to grade levels. Thus, students’ network structures with the upper or lower grade levels can be analysed. Comparisons can be made through different tests while determining students’ personality traits and even qualitative data can also be collected from students for this purpose. The reflections of this network structure into digital medium and the similarities between them can be examined by using an online learning environment. This study determined the relations between students according to the students’ names written down by students. Analysing and determining the relations between students by examining the log records in web-based environments can find differing results. This research was carried out within the course of Instructional Technologies and Material Design supported by digital technologies. The question was asked to students "When you were practicing in classes and working on your homework, who would you prefer to get classmates' opinion and why they were?”. According to their answers, students prefer their friends who are well informed about the computer and the content, and doing well designed homework. To be able to design good materials for the purpose of the course and to use the related technology well are also seen as leading reasons for students. This finding is particularly important in terms of understanding how learning relationships are in today's technology-supported learning environments.

Özet

Sosyal ağ analizi insanlar, gruplar, örgütler, bilgisayar ya da diğer bilgi akışının yaşandığı her şey arasındaki ilişkileri ölçer ve haritalandırır. Bu araştırmanın katılımcılarını Öğretim Teknolojileri ve Materyal Tasarımı dersini alan 22 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Bu araştırma kapsamında derste çeşitli öğretim teknolojilerini dijital ders materyalleri üretmek, ödev yapmak ve konu anlatmak gibi amaçlarla kullanan öğrencilerden bilgiye ulaşmak üzere en çok ve en az tercih edilenlerin ve bunun olası nedenlerinin belirlenmesi, ayrıca bu öğrencilerin performansları ve kişilik özelliklerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Böylece günümüzde teknoloji destekli öğrenme ortamlarında öğrenme ilişkilerinin nasıl olduğunun anlaşılmasına, bu ortamların etkililiğinin ve öğrencilerin performanslarının artırılmasına yönelik ipuçları elde etmek hedeflenmiştir. En çok tercih edilen öğrencilerin iç-derece merkezilik puanları ile derse ilişkin performansları arasında anlamlı yüksek bir ilişki (r=0,703) görülmüştür. Öğrencilerin kişilik özellikleri ve iç-derece merkezilik puanları arasında ise anlamlı bir ilişki görülmemiştir. Bu bulgu en çok tercih edilen öğrencilerin kişilik özelliklerinde görülen çeşitlilik ile desteklenmektedir. Bu öğrencilerde duygusal denge ve duygusal dengesizlik ile deneyime açıklık ve gelişmemişlik kişilik özellikleri bir arada görülebilmektedir. Ancak bu öğrencilerin hepsinin dışa dönüklük, yumuşak başlılık ve sorumluluk faktör puanlarının yüksek olduğu görülmüştür