This study aims at examining social studies teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs for technological pedagogical content knowledge through multiple variables and presenting new perspectives for researchers and practitioners. A causal-comparative research design was adopted for this study. Among non-random sampling methods, convenience sampling was used to select participants. The sample of the study consists of 349 3rd and 4th year college students (teacher candidates) studying at three state universities in Turkey’s Central Anatolia Region in the 2018–2019 academic year. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) scale was used for collecting data in this study. T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to analyze data. According to the obtained results, the social studies teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs for technological pedagogical content knowledge can be considered above average. No significant differences were found between participants’ self-efficacy beliefs for TPACK and some independent variables such as gender, year in college, GPA score, personal computer ownership, and Instructional Technology and Material Development course score. On the other hand, it was determined that perceived technology competency and the use of content sharing platforms for professional purposes were important predictors for social studies teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs about TPACK.

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The purpose of this study is to reveal the experiences of the teacher candidates about their personal phones, their phone usage situations and their perceptions about their smartphones during the Covid-19 process. The mixed method procedure was followed in the study. In the quantitative dimension, the survey model was used in order to reveal the smartphone usage status of the teacher candidates, while in the qualitative dimension, the phenomenology model was used to determine their perceptions about the smartphone. The sample of the study consisted of 45 teacher candidates studying in the faculty of education at a state university located in Turkey's Aegean region during the 2020-2021 fall semester. The data of the study were collected by the researcher with a questionnaire form created by taking the literature review and expert opinion. The quantitative data collected within the scope of the research were subjected to statistical analysis. The metaphors collected in qualitative dimension were analyzed with content analysis. Research findings indicated that the teacher candidates were generally aware of the technical features of their personal phones. On the other hand, it has been determined that they are indecisive in controlling themselves about their phone usage, being dependent on their phones and being aware of their phone time. It has been observed that the teacher candidates produced metaphors for their smart phones that point to the themes of “addiction, functionality, correct use, having a happy time, socialization/communication and other.” It can be said that the research is important in terms of providing researchers and decision makers with new perspectives on the smartphone perception and experiences of teacher candidates in the Covid-19 process.

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