Classroom teachers' self-efficacy in educational technology and implementation of educational technologies in the classroom

Rapid developments in technology today have led to fundamental changes in education. In this context, educational technologies have gained importance as a set of tools, methods, and strategies that make teaching and learning processes more effective, efficient, and lasting. These technologies, which enable students to actively participate in the learning process and enrich the teaching process for teachers, are widely used in education. In this context, classroom teachers' level of self-efficacy regarding educational technologies is of great importance. This study examined various variables to determine classroom teachers self-efficacy in using educational technology in educational activities and evaluated classroom teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy regarding educational technologies. To this end, the study was conducted according to a concurrent mixed-methods design. The quantitative part of the study was conducted using a survey method, while the qualitative part was conducted according to a case study design. Quantitative data were analysed using a software, and qualitative data underwent content analysis. The research findings revealed that teachers' self-efficacy in technology use did not differ significantly based on gender or the type of settlement where their schools were located. The teachers graduated from other than education faculties have found to have weak technology use self-efficacy. The teachers with postgraduate education levels showed higher levels of technology demonstrating more experience in using technology during the education process. The study found that teachers who produce materials on EBA have higher levels of self-efficacy. This result demonstrates that digital content production directly improves technology use skills. In terms of professional seniority, it is noteworthy that teachers with 1–10 years of experience have higher levels of self-efficacy. Teachers of the new generation are more inclined to use technology due to the influence of the era in which they were trained, and their knowledge in this area is relatively greater than that of older teachers. Overall, it was determined that teachers' educational technology self-efficacy is influenced more by variables such as educational background, digital content production experience, and professional seniority than by individual characteristics. KEYWORDS: Educational technology, Self-efficacy, Primary school teacher, Teacher competency, Technology integration