The Effect of School Practices on Teacher Candidates' Sense of Efficacy Relating to Use of Drama in Education

The aim of this study is to research the effect of school practices on teacher candidates' sense of efficacy relating to planning, implementing, evaluating drama activities, and the sense of general efficacy relating to use of drama in education. The study was conducted with 52 students attending the 2nd year of their course of study in Mersin University, Faculty of Education, Department of Preschool Teacher Education. In the study, a quasi-experimental model involving a pre-test and a post-test control group was used. During the lesson held with the experimental group, teacher candidates applied and evaluated the drama activities that they developed themselves in preschool education institutions. During the lesson held with the control group, drama activities were limited to classroom applications. Prior to and after the implications, sense of efficacy relating to drama activity planning, implication, evaluation, and general efficacy of both groups were measured using the "Sense of Efficacy Scale Relating to Use of Drama in Education" which was developed by the researcher. Also teacher candidates in experimental group were directed to answer an open-ended question. The results of the research revealed that the efficacy of the teacher candidates in planning, applying, evaluating and general relating to using drama activities varied significantly in favor of the experimental group between the experimental and control groups. The teacher candidates in the experiment group reported that school practices improved their efficacy relating to use of drama in education.