"Even I Get Bored with Ordinary Presentations": Social Studies Teacher Candidates' Perspectives on Web 2.0 Tools

Abstract

The current study examines the perspectives of preservice social studies teachers about using Web 2.0 tools. Researchers used the case study design to achieve the purpose of the study. The working group consists of 25 preservice social studies teachers enrolled for the course "Social Studies Teaching II." The data were collected from three data sources: A structured interview form, unstructured observations, and documents. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. The research results show that the participants learned Web 2.0 tools from academics at their university and mainly used Web 2.0 tools during the measurement and evaluation stage of their teaching performance. Moreover, the researchers observed that the participants used similar Web 2.0 tools, and some still discovered new instructional tools with more research. Furthermore, the participants stated that Web 2.0 tools contribute to learning, facilitate teaching, enable permanent learning, and attract attention by making social studies teaching fun. Lastly, while most preservice teachers mentioned that Web 2.0 tools have no limitations, some stated that Web 2.0 tools have limitations. It is concluded that Web 2.0 tools significantly enhance social studies courses and should be part of social studies teacher education programs.