An Investigation of Digital Citizens' Behaviours of Social Science Teachers for Some Variables

This study was carried out to examine the perceptions of the candidate Social Studies teachers for digital citizenship and its sub-dimensions. Participants of the study constituted of 682 teacher candidates studying in F？rat, Dicle, Siirt and Ad？yaman University Social Studies Teacher Education Departments in the first, second, third and fourth grades in the academic year of 2015-2016. 321 of the participants were male and 361 were male and their ages range between 17 and 24. In the study, the digital citizenship scale prepared by Kocada？ (2012) for measuring the digital citizenship levels of teacher candidates and the seven variables related to gender, age, monthly average income, family computer, social network membership, has been implemented. The applied digital citizenship scale was 63 items and the result of 5 weeks observation and observations made by the researcher for teaching practice lesson was obtained. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistical technique. In the analysis of the qualitative data obtained, descriptive analysis technique was used. It is seen that there is a statistically significant difference when the social studies teacher candidates' attitudes towards digital citizenship are examined in terms of the change of stay on the internet. It has been determined that attitudes are more positive as the duration of online stay increases. [F (4,324) = P> .05] In addition, participants are digital citizens; they describe innovative technologies that can fit the computer and the internet in a very good way. If the information society required by the digital age is to be cultivated, it is especially important to teach the rights and freedoms of social studies teachers. Digital citizenship universities should have a large place in the curriculum of the Department of Social Studies and be integrated into the Social Studies course, especially in the primary and secondary school curriculum