Investigation of the cognitive structures of social studies teacher candidates related to the concept of social studies using the draw-write-tell technique

The ideas that people have and the ways in which they are arranged in their thoughts can be revealed via a variety of approaches and strategies. In this sense, research was done on how social studies is conceptualized in the cognitive structures of prospective social studies teachers. The research goal of this study was to employ the phenomenological pattern. Eighty-six teacher candidates enrolled in the social studies teaching program in the first and fourth grades at Akdeniz University Faculty of Education during the 2022–2023 academic year make up the study group for the research. In the research, the draw-write-tell form was employed. Three steps were included in the draw-write-tell form process. Drawings on the idea of social studies are presented in the first stage, and a composition based on one of the drawings is presented in the second. Teacher candidates were interviewed during the third phase. Data analysis was done using content analysis. The data from the draw-write-tell form was transformed into tables utilizing codes, themes, and frequencies. The research revealed that, in the sketching stage, first-year teacher candidates tended to repeat the education theme, whereas fourth-year candidates tended to repeat the individual and society subject. First-year teacher candidates and fourth-year teacher candidates primarily reiterated the education theme and the social life subject during the composing stage. At both grade levels, it was shown to be the most frequently occurring management theme during the Tell phase. Based on the available data, it can be concluded that teacher candidates for the first and fourth grades are familiar with the concept of social studies. As the grade level rises, however, their misconceptions diminish, their understanding of the concept grows, and they begin to associate it with other concepts. By applying the draw-write-tell method to the social studies concept in their cognitive structures, social studies teacher candidates at the first, second, third, and fourth grade levels can examine the differences in their cognitive structures. Key Words: Cognitive structure, Social studies concept, Draw-write-tell technique