Examining social studies teacher candidates’ views on habit of reading books about political issues based on different variables

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Reading habit is a prominent element for social development Books are the primary tool for information consumption. Equipping individuals with the habit of regular and continuous reading is an important way for improving the level of welfare in the society. Although reading books is of great importance, sufficient interest cannot be attracted to this habit. In a study on the reading habit of university students, it was found that only 5% of the students spent their free time with reading, and only 26% read books outside classes (Esgin&Karadağ, 2000: 21). A good social studies teacher should have the abilities to understand and use politics, criticize politics, express views about politics, and the skill of understanding how political knowledge and attitudes affect societies. In addition, a social studies teacher should have the habit of reading books about politics so that he/she can have background knowledge on politics. Aim of the Study: The aim of this study is to reveal the views of social studies teacher candidates who were final year students in the Education Faculty of Pamukkale University on the habit of reading books about politics. Method: In the study, survey method was used to determine the teacher candidates’ views. Data Gathering Tool: The data were gathered through the “Scale of Identifying Teacher Candidates’ Views on the Habit of Reading About Political Issues” developed by Tarhan (2015). Participants: In the selection of the participants, convenient sampling that is one of the purposive sampling methods was used. The participants of the study were 126 social studies teacher candidates studying at the Education Faculty of Pamukkale University in the 2015-2016 academic year. Findings: The research process is still in progress. The findings will be presented after the necessary analyses. © The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology.