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Cyberloafing in the Online Synchronous Lessons: Exploring Variables Associated with University Students’ Cyberloafing Behaviors

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Due to the distance education implemented with the COVID-19 pandemic, online synchronous education activities have started to be carried out using tools such as Zoom. In this process, students have experienced various problems and one of them is related to cyberloafing behaviors (CLB). The main purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing CLB among Turkish adolescent students in online synchronous lessons. The research sample consisted of 570 university students. The data of the research were obtained with the scales (cyberloafing scale, Internet gaming disorder scale, smartphone addiction scale, beck depression scale, locus of control scale) that the students answered based on self-report. Structural Equation Modeling was used in the analysis of the data. Research findings show that students’ depression states affect internet gaming disorder (IGD). It has been determined that IGD affects locus of control and smartphone addiction. Smartphone addiction affects students’ CLB. One of the innovative aspects of our research is examining the structural relationships between IGD, smartphone addiction, and locus of control variables. This research is original research in which these variables were investigated within the scope of IGD. Another innovative aspect of the research is to examine the reasons for cyberloafing by students during synchronous lessons. It is thought that the present study will provide insights for educators and researchers in terms of revealing the causes of students’ CLB in online synchronous courses, which are increasingly used in the context of both synchronous courses and hybrid courses after the Covid 19 pandemic, and discussing what can be done to overcome them.
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Accepted: 14 July 2023 / Published online: 19 July 2023
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2023
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Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Cyberloang in the Online Synchronous Lessons: Exploring
Variables Associated with University Students’ Cyberloang
Behaviors
Fatma GizemKaraoglan Yilmaz1· RamazanYılmaz1· SemaSulak2
Technology, Knowledge and Learning (2024) 29:681–696
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09676-4
Abstract
Due to the distance education implemented with the COVID-19 pandemic, online syn-
chronous education activities have started to be carried out using tools such as Zoom. In
this process, students have experienced various problems and one of them is related to
cyberloang behaviors (CLB). The main purpose of this study was to examine the fac-
tors inuencing CLB among Turkish adolescent students in online synchronous lessons.
The research sample consisted of 570 university students. The data of the research were
obtained with the scales (cyberloang scale, Internet gaming disorder scale, smartphone
addiction scale, beck depression scale, locus of control scale) that the students answered
based on self-report. Structural Equation Modeling was used in the analysis of the data.
Research ndings show that students’ depression states aect internet gaming disorder
(IGD). It has been determined that IGD aects locus of control and smartphone addiction.
Smartphone addiction aects students’ CLB. One of the innovative aspects of our research
is examining the structural relationships between IGD, smartphone addiction, and locus of
control variables. This research is original research in which these variables were inves-
tigated within the scope of IGD. Another innovative aspect of the research is to examine
the reasons for cyberloang by students during synchronous lessons. It is thought that the
present study will provide insights for educators and researchers in terms of revealing the
causes of students’ CLB in online synchronous courses, which are increasingly used in
the context of both synchronous courses and hybrid courses after the Covid 19 pandemic,
and discussing what can be done to overcome them.
Keywords Cyberloang behavior · Depression · Internet gaming disorder · Locus of
control · Smartphone addiction
1 3
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Playing games on the computer/phone was also given by the participants as examples of cyberloafing. In various studies, behaviors such as playing online games are considered among cyberloafing behaviors (Karaoğlan Yılmaz et al., 2023;Şimşek & Şimşek, 2019;Koay & Soh, 2018: 5). Watching TV series/movies/videos and shopping online were also given by the participants as examples of cyberloafing. ...
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