Effectiveness of the digital citizenship education program applied to Social Study teachers: a model proposal

In this research, it was aimed to determine the effectiveness of the digital citizenship education program prepared to improve the digital citizenship levels of social studies teacher candidates. Explanatory design, one of the mixed research methods, was used in this study, which was carried out at the higher education level. In the research, digital citizenship levels of 21 volunteer social studies teacher candidates, who were determined through an easily accessible sample, were determined by quantitative and qualitative tools. During the implementation and completion of the training program, which was prepared in ten sessions, covering the concept of digital citizenship itself and nine sub-dimensions of digital access, digital literacy, digital law, digital security, digital health, digital rights and responsibilities, digital communication, digital ethics and digital commerce, the participants digital citizenship levels and evaluations of the applied education were determined and the difference between the levels was discussed. The data were obtained from the digital citizenship scale developed by İşman and Güngören (2014) and the semi-structured interview forms developed by the researcher and participant products. The data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and discourse/content analysis and descriptive analysis, which are qualitative analysis types. As a result of the research, it was seen that the applied education program had a positive effect on the development of digital citizenship levels. Along with the research, each session on the concept of digital citizenship itself and its nine sub-dimensions, digital access, digital literacy, digital law, digital security, digital health, digital rights and responsibilities, digital communication, digital ethics and digital commerce, is relevant and contribution. While it was determined that there were functional sessions that presented the participants, together with the quantitative and qualitative process evaluations and level determinations, participant developments were also revealed. It was determined that the training applied together with the pre-test and post-test employed within the scope of the research contributed to the development of the digital citizenship levels of the participants. It has been determined that permanence is ensured in the training applied together with the follow-up test. Through the qualitative data obtained within the scope of the research, it has been concluded that the education applied is a suitable, efficient and qualified education. In this direction, in terms of raising individuals with advanced digital citizenship levels; distributing the implemented digital citizenship education program to wider audiences; for research results such as digital citizenship training of academics involved in teacher education; Suggestions for future research such as the development of new/different digital citizenship education activities for the same or different levels are presented.