How special are teachers of specialized schools? : a quantitative investigation of Turkish mathematics teachers' self-confidence levels in the technology domain

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether specialized high school mathematics teachers, who were selected to educate selected students, were mentally ready to integrate Fatih project technologies into their teaching. The sample consisted of 40 teachers, who voluntarily participated the study and working at randomly-selected specialized and general high schools in Ankara, Turkey. Data collection instrument consisted of 31 items, which were theoretically grouped under four measures of self-confidence in the technology domain. An independent t-test revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between specialized and general high school teachers’ self-confidence levels. Results were discussed in terms of previously conducted research on the teacher selection system in Turkey, professional development of teachers, and their knowledge for teaching. It was concluded that the technological pedagogical content knowledge ought to be an essential competency to be sought when selecting specialized school teachers, who educate the future innovators of Turkey.