Investigating the Relationship between the Earthquake Knowledge Level and Earthquake Risk Perception of Social Studies Teacher Candidates

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between earthquake knowledge levels and earthquake risk perceptions of the prospective Social Studies teachers. The study was designed as a quantitative research using a relational screening model. The study group consisted of a total of 114 teacher candidates teaching at different grade levels (1-2-3-4) in the Social Studies teaching department of the faculty of education of a state university located in the Eastern Anatolia Region in the spring semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. The data collection tools used were the 'personal information form,' the Earthquake Knowledge Level Scale developed by Genç and Sözen (2022), and the Earthquake Risk Perception Scale developed by Mızrak, Özdemir and Aslan (2021). The findings were analyzed using a quantitative statistics program and it was revealed that there was no significant difference in the earthquake knowledge levels and earthquake risk perceptions of teacher candidates based on the 'gender variable.'. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in earthquake knowledge levels based on the class variable. In contrast, a significant difference was found in earthquake risk perceptions across different classes. No significant difference was identified in either earthquake knowledge levels or risk perceptions in relation to having experienced an earthquake. However, earthquake knowledge levels differed significantly according to whether participants had received disaster education, whereas earthquake risk perceptions did not show a significant difference in this regard. In an attempt to identify the relationship between the earthquake knowledge levels and earthquake risk perceptions of teacher candidates, a simple linear correlation (Pearson Moment Product Correlation Coefficient) was performed, revealing that the relationship was positive but not significantly meaningful at a low level.