Determining the Geographical Literacy Level of Teacher Candidates Who Have Study in Different Branches: Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Example

Abstract

In this study, the geography literacy levels of prospective teachers studying in different branches were determined and the relationship of this level with different variables was examined. In the study, a scanning model that examines a past or current situation as it actually exists was used in order to determine the problem situation. 260 pre-service teachers from 1st and 2nd grade levels studying in 7 different branches at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Faculty of Education in the 2018-2019 academic year participated in the study. The branches of the participants are Social Studies, Turkish Language, Classroom, Secondary Education Mathematics, History, Science and Turkish Language-Literature Teaching. Descriptive analysis, t-test for unrelated samples, Pearson Correlation analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used in the analysis of the data in the study. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the geography literacy levels of the teacher candidates were below the determined proficiency criteria and their geography literacy levels were low. In addition, it is an effect of the class variable in terms of geographical knowledge and skills that men are more qualified than women in terms of geographical knowledge and skills, that the geography literacy levels of the teacher candidates in the Social Studies and Turkish departments are higher than the teacher candidates in the Primary School Teaching, Science, Mathematics and Literature departments. It was determined that the class variable has no effect in terms of geographical knowledge and skills. It has been determined that the type of school graduated from does not have a determining effect on being geographically literate, it shows a significant difference according to the age variable, and does not differ significantly according to the number of cities and countries traveled. Many findings were obtained that the teacher candidates who displayed a positive attitude towards the geography lesson in terms of geographical knowledge and skills were more sufficient than those who displayed negative attitudes.