Pre-Service Social Studies Teachers’ Cognitive Structures on the Concepts of Effective Teaching and Effective Learning

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to reveal the cognitive structures of pre-service social studies teachers regarding effective teaching and effective learning. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research was designed according to the survey model. Word association test was used as a data collection tool. The research was carried out with 122 pre-service teachers. Findings: According to the research result, it has been observed that pre-service teachers mostly associate the concept of effective teaching with teacher, material, student, active student, and the concept of effective learning with student, active student, material, motivation. In the study, it was determined that 12 connections were established between the concept of effective teaching and the concept of effective learning. It was seen that the connection between these concepts is structured with the common components of teaching and learning such as student, material, and motivation. Highlights: In order to understand the teaching and learning process, it would be useful to emphasize the descriptive and distinctive features of the concepts in teacher professional courses.