Examination of the relationship between the epistemological beliefs of primary education teachers and teacher candidates and technological pedagogical field knowledge

This study, it is aimed to examine the relationship between the epistemological beliefs of primary education teachers and teacher candidates and their knowledge of technological pedagogical fields. In the study, a questionnaire was applied to primary education teachers working in various regions of Turkey in the 2021-2022 academic year and to teacher candidates studying in the 3rd and 4th grades of classroom teaching in two universities in the Mediterranean region and a university in the Central Anatolia region. Applications to primary education teachers and teacher candidates were carried out online and face-to-face in the spring semester. In the selection of the research sample, the appropriate sampling method was used from the purposeful sampling methods. In the study, the technological pedagogical field knowledge scale developed by Pamuk et al., (2015) for technological pedagogical field knowledge as a data collection tool and the epistemological belief scale adapted to Turkish by Aypay (2011) were used to measure epistemological beliefs. In the examination of the relationship between the epistemological beliefs of primary education teachers and teacher candidates and their knowledge of technological pedagogical fields, the Jamovi 2.3.28 program was used in the analysis of statistical data. To determine the analysis methods to be used in the study, normality test results, flatness, and skewness coefficients were examined. Accordingly, Independent t-tests in cases with two variables; In cases with three or more variables, One-Way ANOVA and Post Hoc tests were applied to determine whether there was a significant difference according to the variables. In cases where a difference in meaning was determined, the effect sizes of Cohen d were calculated, and the magnitudes of the significant differences were determined. Within the scope of the research, the relationship between the epistemological beliefs of primary education teachers and teacher candidates and the scores they received from technological pedagogical field knowledge scales and sub-dimensions was examined. For this purpose, since the data show a normal distribution, the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated and analyzes were performed. Professional experience, and gender, for primary education teachers from the form of personal information during the analysis of data; Analyses were carried out on academic average, gender, and grade level variables for teacher candidates. With the interpretation of the findings obtained, the learning process between the epistemological beliefs of primary education teachers and teacher candidates and their technological pedagogical field knowledge is included in all other TPAB sub-dimensions except for the sub-dimension of suspicion of authority expert knowledge and technological knowledge; A significant relationship was found between TAB and certainty of information, innate/fixed ability, and PB and TAB. No significant relationship was found between the other sub-dimensions. As a result of the research findings, it is necessary to follow the developments in the field of technology and to make efforts to integrate them into the education system. For this reason, it has been suggested that primary education teachers and teacher candidates should increase their technological knowledge to higher levels.