Determining the digital citizenship competency levels of pre-service teachers in Turkish language and social studies departments

This study aims to determine the digital citizenship competency levels of Turkish Language and Social Studies teacher candidates at Ġnönü University and to examine whether these competencies differ significantly according to various variables. The research sample consists of 252 teacher candidates, including 104 from the Turkish Language Teaching program and 148 from the Social Studies Teaching program. Data were collected using the Digital Citizenship Competency Scale, and parametric tests were employed for analysis. Findings indicate that the overall digital citizenship levels of teacher candidates are high. High scores were observed in the dimensions of digital ethics and digital commerce, whereas relatively lower scores were recorded in the digital security dimension. No significant difference was found based on gender. However, digital citizenship competencies increased with the academic year level. Participants who regularly follow technological and societal developments demonstrated higher levels of digital citizenship. Additionally, increases in family income and mothers‟ education levels were associated with significant improvements in digital competencies. Overall, the results show that teacher candidates are generally conscious digital individuals; however, there is a need for more supportive training, particularly in technical areas such as digital security.