Social studies teachers' self-efficacy beliefs reguarding character education

The summation of an individual's personal attitudes and behaviors forms their character, which, through consistent conduct within society, shapes how they are perceived as either good or bad. The social institutions like family and school greatly influence the acquisition of positive or negative attributes. The behaviors exhibited by parents within the family and by teachers within schools serve as examples shaping individual behaviors. Additionally, educational activities conducted as part of the curriculum contribute to students developing positive character traits within the school environment, aligning well with the fundamental objectives and content of social studies courses. Social studies, by its content and goals, undertakes the mission of cultivating individuals into virtuous citizens. Social studies teachers play a crucial role in students' character development processes. When preparing curriculum integrated with character education, teachers' knowledge and self-beliefs in this area are of paramount importance. The purpose of this study is to identify social studies teachers' beliefs regarding their competence in character education. Using a concurrent mixed-methods design, a foundational approach of mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative data were evaluated together. The study group consisted of social studies teachers working in schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education during the 2022-2023 academic year. The data collection tool for the quantitative dimension was a Personal Information Form and The Character Education Efficacy Belief Instrument. For the qualitative aspect, a semi-structured interview form prepared by researchers was used. Data for the study were obtained through online interviews with teachers. Quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS program, while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive analysis. The research findings indicated that social studies teachers' beliefs in character education competency did not show statistically significant differences based on variables such as gender, age, professional seniority, graduating institution, or previous participation in character education seminars. The qualitative outcomes of the research elucidated dimensions such as educational approach, teaching competency, inspiration, behavior transformation, personal attributes, moral qualities, and professional attitudes of social studies teachers.