The Effect on the Two Different Instruction Approaches of Media Literacy on Teacher Candidates’ Attitudes towards the Internet and Perceptions of Computer Self-efficacy

Abstract

Media literacy is generally defined as the ability to access media texts, analyse and evaluate those texts and create one's own media. In this research, the effects of participating or not participatin g in a media literacy instruction (MLI) and two different approaches of media literacy instruction on the attitudes of teacher candidates towards the internet and self-efficacy perception related to computers were investigated. A total of 158 teacher candidates studying in the department of elementary education participated in this study. This research was conducted by using quasi-experimental design with a post- test only control group. The results indicated that the attitudes scores of the group, who participated in media literacy instruction, towards Internet were higher than who did not. Secondly the research has revealed that the perception of the self-efficacy oriented to computer does not differentiate between teacher candidates who participated in MLI or who did not. Moreover participants receiving education in line with media analyzing approach were observed to differentiate both with respect to attitude and self-efficacy perceptions from those who do not receive media literacy instructions.