Becoming a social studies teacher in 2050: A Delphi study

This study aims to identify the competencies that a social studies teacher should possess in 2050 as a result of the Delphi process, which was designed with the input of academicians from various disciplines (anthropology, art, communication, curriculum and instruction, economics, geography, history, law, measurement and assessment, philosophy, politics, psychology, social studies education, sociology, technology, and Turkish language and literature) and two social studies teachers. The exploratory sequential design and modified Delphi technique were used to design this mixed method research. The maximum variation sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, was chosen to determine the study group. In this context, the first Delphi round included 18 participants while the second and third Delphi rounds included 16 participants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Delphi process was carried out online with participants teaching in Afyonkarahisar, Ağrı, Aksaray, Aydın, Bursa, Çanakkale, Giresun, Hatay, Edirne, Konya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Uşak and Van. In the first of three Delphi rounds, qualitative data were obtained using the "Semi-Structured Interview Schedule" developed by the researchers, and quantitative data were gathered through the "Delphi Round Two Questionnaire" and "Delphi Round Three Questionnaire" in the second and third rounds, respectively. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, and the quantitative data were computerized, and the values for the mode, median, mean, range, standard deviation, and first and third quartiles were calculated. The consensus was determined based on the IQR (interquartile range) value. The standard deviation value was used to determine the degree of agreement. In terms of the competencies that a social studies teacher should possess in 2050, it was found out that the participants agreed on one competency under the "Knowledge" theme, 24 competencies under the "Skill" theme, and six competencies under the "Attitude" theme. It has been demonstrated that a social studies teacher‟s "integrating the knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technology" was the only competence agreed upon within the scope of the "Knowledge" theme. Within the scope of the "Skill" theme, "developing a measurement and assessment tool that is appropriate for the task, designing an egalitarian and democratic learning environment, incorporating programming languages into the lessons, enhancing students‟ digital competence and productivity with digital teaching materials, creating a reliable and valid measurement and assessment process, fostering the development of cognitive awareness skills, fostering the development of futuristic thinking skills, and enhancing life and thinking skills, guiding students in their use of mass media, communicating effectively with colleagues, providing students with effective guidance, supporting students‟ self regulated learning, supporting students‟ social skills, creating learning environments that will allow students to engage in active learning, communicating effectively with students, enhancing the learning environment with virtual, augmented, and mixed reality applications (holograms), benefiting from interdisciplinary interaction in the teaching process, collaborating with stakeholders, effectively using social media platforms, using online teaching methods and techniques, using online measurement and assessment tools, providing parents with effective guidance, and integrating Web tools into the teaching process" were the agreed-upon competencies. "A constant desire to research, a desire to follow current developments, a desire to follow changes, an attempt to support personal development, serving as a role model for students, and demonstrating commitment to local, national, and universal values" were among the competencies agreed upon within the scope of the theme of "Attitude".