Abstract:

The purpose of this research is to determine the power of social studies preservice teachers' critical thinking tendencies to predict their attitudes towards teaching controversial issues. The research was designed according to the relational screening model of quantitative research methods. The sample of the research consisted of 204 social studies preservice teachers studying in the spring semester of 2018-2019 academic year. Statistics were collected with the help of Questionnaire for Social Studies Preservice Teachers Scale and Marmara Critical Thinking Trends Scale. In statistics analysis for independent groups t-test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis-H test and simple linear regression analysis were analyzed. As a result of the research, it was found that there was a significant difference between the groups in terms of classroom and general academic average variables of preservice teachers' attitude towards teaching controversial topics, and the variables of critical thinking disposition of interest towards social problems. No significant difference was found of preservice teachers in the variables of gender, age, family monthly income, monthly income, quality of place with family, interest in social problems and the number of books read per month and on the other hand, there was no significant difference of preservice teachers between the variables of gender, age, grade, general academic average, family monthly income, monthly income, quality of place with family and number of books read. In the research, it was determined that the preservice teachers' critical thinking tendencies significantly predicted 20% of their attitudes towards teaching controversial issues.

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