The effect of social studies teacher candidates' digital literacy skills on media literacy skills

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of digital literacy skills on media literacy skills among pre-service social studies teachers. For this purpose, data were collected from 255 prospective teachers enrolled in the Social Studies Education Department under the Turkish and Social Sciences Education Division at Fırat University, Kayseri Erciyes University and Gaziantep University Nizip Faculty of Education during the 2024-2025 academic year. The data collection instruments used in the study consisted of a Personal Information Form prepared by the researcher, the 'Digital Literacy Skills Scale' developed by Üstündağ, Güneş and Bahçivan (2017) and the 'Media Literacy Skills Scale' developed by Erişti and Erdem (2017). The findings revealed that pre-service social studies teachers possess high levels of both digital literacy and media literacy skills. The study further found no significant differences between participants' digital and media literacy skill levels and variables such as family income level, father's education level, frequency of following media, use of media tools, continuous internet use, use of social networks and participation in activities. However, participants' digital literacy levels significantly differed based on their use of digital tools and the types of media websites they followed. Additionally, media literacy levels significantly differed according to grade level, use of digital tools, gender and the university they attended. A significant and positive relationship was identified between participant's digital literacy and media literacy levels. Regression analysis results indicated that digital literacy significantly predicted media literacy and its sub-dimensions. Based on the findings, recommendations were presented to support the development of digital and media literacy skills.