The effect of digital image guide method on visual literacy skills of Turkish teacher candidates

The aim of the study is to examine the effect of the Digital Image Guide Method on the visual literacy skills of Turkish teacher candidates. The research was applied to 70 undergraduate students studying in the Department of Turkish Language Teaching at Akdeniz University in the 2021-2022 academic year. The "Visual Literacy Scale" developed by Arslan and Nalinci (2012) was used to measure visual literacy skills. In this direction, pre-test and post-test were applied to the participants. In the research, firstly, a visual literacy scale was applied in order to determine the visual literacy levels of the participants. Participants were then given a total of 3 hours of training consisting of 9 lessons through the definition of digital images known as the DIG Method. Afterwards, the research was concluded by applying the visual literacy scale (post-test) again. In addition, in order to obtain more in-depth information, a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher was applied to 16 students who participated in the study and volunteered. At the end of the study, according to the pre-test and post-test results, t-test analysis was performed for the dependent groups in the sub-dimensions that showed normal distribution, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied to the sub-dimensions that did not show normal distribution. It is seen that there is a significant difference in the total score averages. The post-test mean score of the group is higher than the pre-test mean score. When the interviews with the students who participated in the DIG Method activity were considered in general, it was stated that the students were useful in identifying the visuals and that they provided convenience and variety in accessing the resources. In addition, it was stated that the students experienced changes in their perspectives on the visuals and that they approached the visuals critically. They said that they could create original and easy designs thanks to technical information and applications, and that they could use the visual media interestingly and consciously in the classroom environment. They stated that they were conscious of ethical and legal issues, and that they would be sensitive about copyright and visual usage permission. They stated that the course process was personally beneficial in visual reading, critical approach to visuals and material preparation. It has been stated that the method can make the Turkish lesson more interesting, it can be useful in analyzing the visuals, the visuals can be used more consciously and materials can be prepared when they start the profession.