The Effect of Teaching Practice Lessons on Social Studies Teachers' Self-efficacy Perceptions

Teaching practice is a course in which prospective teachers acquire skill and experience related to teaching profession during pre-service period and there exist activities about the profession. Applications about the teaching practice are conducted in the schools that are governed by the Ministry of National Education and influence prospective teachers to learn professional knowledge. Ideas of the prospective teachers are important because their ideas reveal efficacy level of the course. The present study was carried out determining impact of teaching practice on prospective teachers' self-efficacy. Sample of the study consists of 106 4th grade prospective teachers who attended Ataturk University Kazim Karabekir Education Faculty Social Studies Department. The study was designed according to experimental study with pre-test and post-design with control group. Data from the study was analyzed through independent t-test, dependent t-test, Mann Whitney U test at .05 significance level. As a result of analyses it was found that the course of teaching practice increased prospective teacher's self-efficacy level, impact of course did not vary according to the gender, but the course have more impact on female prospective teachers' self-efficacy level than it does on that of male prospective teacher. Impact of course did not differ significantly according to school type.