AN EXAMINATION OF THE NECESSITY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF COURSES REQUIRED IN A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

Şahin Dündar
Asst. Prof. Dr., Trakya University, Turkey, sahindundar@hotmail.com

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine courses required in an undergraduate program for social studies teachers in terms of their necessity and functionality, as perceived by preservice social studies teachers. The data were collected from 178 preservice social studies teachers enrolled in the faculty of education at a state university in Turkey at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. Of the participants, 94 (52.8%) were female, and 84 (47.2%) were male. Forty of the participants (22.5%) were freshmen, 45 (25.3%) were sophomores, 42 (23.6%) were juniors and 51 (28.7%) were seniors. The findings showed that the preservice social studies teachers considered pedagogical courses to be more necessary than both subject-matter and subject-matter education courses and general culture courses. They also thought that subject-matter and subject-matter education courses were more necessary than general culture courses. Concerning the functionality of the courses, preservice social studies teachers thought that pedagogical courses were more functional than the subject-matter and subject-matter education courses and general culture courses; moreover, they considered that subject-matter and subject-matter education courses were more functional than general culture courses. Some significant differences were also found between female and male students. Female preservice social studies teachers, compared with males, thought pedagogical and general culture courses to be more necessary and pedagogical courses to be more functional. The study also showed that preservice social studies teachers who rated the necessity and functionality of courses more highly had higher grade point averages than those who gave them a low rating.

Keywords: preservice social studies teachers, social studies teacher education, social studies teacher education program