Improving democratic perception scale towards social studies teacher candidates: validity and reliability study

Plato states that democracy and education appear as two sisters. According to him, the most basic feature of democratic managements is the importance they give to the education but the one based on questioning and discussing. Christopher Lasch as another philosopher also brings forward that democracy requires social discussion.  It is possible to increase the number. It is not possible to mention neither democracy nor democratic life in the countries prohibiting or without having discussions. Current discussions in Turkey as the sole country being able to maintain democracy with Islam in the world complicate to assert that democracy is maintained thoroughly. It is possible to say that the studies themed democracy education in the country that the culture of democracy did not become widespread as much as Western countries also pale beside the researches in developed countries. It is expected that the democracy education would have firmly established roots in the country as the sole country being able to maintain democracy with the religion Islam. The researches to be done will ensure to provide democracy education in Turkey in a more powerful way. The purpose of this study is also to take a step for the sake of same purpose. The research was conducted over 544 Social Studies teacher candidates. Cronbach's Alphareliability coefficient as the measuring scale developed was calculated as .847.As a result of explanatory factor analysis, a structure having 23 items consisting of 5 sub factors were acquired but final scale form with 22 items was acquired by excluding one item as a result of confirmatory factor analysis.  The statistical transactions made presents that Democratic Perception Scale towards Social Studies Teacher Candidates is a valid and reliable measuring instrument.