DETERMINATION OF THE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

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The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that started in December 2019 led to the closure of schools on a global level, and implementation of strict social distancing measures has led to rapid and prevalent changes in conventional forms of education and instruction. In this period where distance education is preferred in education processes, the education technology competencies of teachers have gained importance. In this context, this study aimed to determine the education technology competencies of special education teachers. The descriptive study included 114 special education teachers. The data were collected by using the “Education Technology Competencies Scale for Teachers” and analyzed by using the SPSS 25 package software. The maximum total score that could be obtained in the scale that was used in the study is 190. It was determined that, with the mean score of 155.27, the participants of this study had an education technology competency level of 81.72%. In this study which investigated the technological competencies of special education teachers, no significant difference was found based on the participants’ gender, professional experience or areas of teaching. Considering the items in the dimensions of the scale, it was found that the male teachers were more competent in terms of technical knowledge on technology, while the female teachers used the technological knowledge they had more effectively in classes, instruction and materials, as well as in communication with both students and parents. Article visualizations: