Syrian Refugees’ Acceptance and Use of Mobile Learning Tools During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Oct 15, 2026

Mobile learning is widely used in education during the Covid-19 pandemic and is expected to remain central to future learning environments. This study examines how Syrian adult refugees accept and use mobile learning tools, focusing on constructs such as perceived ease of use, perceived contribution to learning Turkish, negative perceptions, and voluntariness of use. Results show positive attitudes, significant correlations among acceptance constructs, and subgroup differences by age, gender, and education level. Despite improved test performance over time, mobile learning acceptance has no significant effect on foreign language achievement, supporting mobile-device integration into curricula.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Learner-centered instruction and differentiation

Technology-driven changes in learning environments

Mobile Learning

Definitions and rationale of m-learning

Syrian Refugees’ Acceptance and Use of Mobile Learning Tools During the Covid-19 Pandemic Murat Sami TÜRKER1 Anadolu University Abstract Mobile learning, which is widely used in educational settings during the Covid-19 pandemic, will continue playing a critical role in learning environments in the future. Since the successful implementation of mobile learning in education is largely based on users’ acceptance of these technologies, it is essential to understand the factors affecting learners’ acceptance of mobile devices as learning tools. This study investigated Syrian adult refugees’ acceptance and use of mobile learning tools. The results revealed that Syrian adult refugees were positive about using mobile devices in learning Turkish as a second/foreign language, and there exists a concrete and significant correlation among all the constructs of the mobile learning tools acceptance like Perceived Ease of Use, Contribution to Foreign Language Learning, Negative Perceptions, and Voluntariness of Use. Factors affecting mobile learning acceptance was also investigated in the study, and the results indicated significant differences among the refugees regarding their characteristics such as age, gender, level of education. The results also revealed that while the refugees did better in the tests overtime, mobile learning acceptance had no significant effect on foreign language achievement. Depending on these results, it can be suggested that mobile devices should be integrated into the education system as a component of the curriculum. Keywords: Mobile learning tools acceptance, refugees, Covid-19 pandemic, Turkish as a second/foreign language DOI: 10.29329/epasr.2022.248.9 1PhD. Anadolu University, Turkish Language Teaching Application and Research Center, Eskisehir, Turkey; ORCID: [orcid.org/ 0000-0002-2037-8508](orcid.org/ 0000-0002-2037-8508) [Correspondence](Correspondence: muratsturker@gmail.com)[: muratsturker@gmail.com](Correspondence: muratsturker@gmail.com) Introduction Because of the demands of the 21st century, radical changes have occurred in learning environments; the classrooms are being flipped, constructivist approach is used in teaching, authentic and personalized learning is preferred by the students, and the role of teachers is largely to facilitate learning rather than to convey information. It is essential for educators to keep up with these changing trends so that education is on the leading edge. In learner-centered environments, where the teacher isnot the focus of the learning process, ample opportunities are provided for obtaining, transferring and constructing new information for learning purposes moving it away from the one-size-fits-all approach inherent in traditional learning (Cardullo et al., 2015, p. 12) . One common feature in all classroom settings is the variety of learning levels and needs among students. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the best ways to meet the needs of all learners and differentiate instruction to ensure that all learners are challenged adequately and appropriately in their learning. In this context, the following principals can be listed as the key for effective instruction (Smaldino et al., 2014, pp. 37-38): 􀁸 Assessing prior knowledge 􀁸 Considering individual differences 􀁸 Stating objectives 􀁸 Developing metacognitive skills 􀁸 Providing social interaction 􀁸 Incorporating realistic (real life) contexts 􀁸 Engaging students in relevant practice 􀁸 Offering frequent, timely, and constructive feedback Accelerated societal changes are driving students’ preferences on how and what they learn, and when they learn as well (Cardullo et al., 2015, p. 11) . In the past, students would spend more time at schools, libraries and conference halls. However, it is clearly seen that the components of traditional learning can no longer satisfy the needs of today’s generation. With the introduction of technology, learning environments are much dif

FAQs

How does mobile learning acceptance relate to foreign language achievement?

Although refugees perform better on tests over time, mobile learning acceptance shows no significant effect on foreign language achievement.

Oct 15, 2026

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