The investigation of the relationship between classroom teachers' critical thinking tendencies and their media literacy levels

This study aims to investigate the relationship between classroom teachers' critical thinking dispositions and their media literacy levels. The research was conducted using a descriptive survey model. The sample of the study was selected using a random sampling method and consists of 392 classroom teachers working in the Merkezefendi and Pamukkale districts of Denizli province in the 2023-2024 academic year. To collect the research data, a "Personal Information Form" was used; the "Critical Thinking Disposition Scale" consisting of 49 items and 5 sub-dimensions: systematicity, flexibility, metacognition, perseverance and patience, and open-mindedness to measure critical thinking dispositions; and the "New Media Literacy Scale" consisting of 35 items and 4 sub-dimensions: critical production, critical consumption, functional production, and functional consumption to measure media literacy levels. According to the research results, it was observed that classroom teachers' critical thinking dispositions and the sub-dimensions of "systematicity" and "metacognition" were high. While there was no difference in the critical thinking tendencies of classroom teachers based on variables such as gender, educational background, and grade level taught, there was a significant difference based on variables such as age, marital status, title, seniority, and daily internet use time. It was observed that classroom teachers' media literacy levels were high in the sub-dimensions of "critical consumption" and "critical production." While there was no significant difference in the media literacy levels of classroom teachers based on variables such as gender and marital status, there was a significant difference based on variables such as age, title, educational background, seniority, grade level taught, and daily internet use time. Another result of the study found a positive and strong significant relationship between classroom teachers' media literacy and critical thinking tendencies. It was determined that as classroom teachers' critical thinking tendencies increased, their media literacy levels also increased.