THE OPINIONS OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER CANDIDATES ON PREPARING EDUCATIONAL COMICS USING WEB 2.0 TOOLS.

This study explores the opinions of Social Studies teacher candidates on the process of designing and using educational comics through Web 2.0 tools, specifically Canva and Pixton. Conducted with 35 senior students enrolled in the Social Studies Teaching Department at Atatürk University during the 2024–2025 academic year, the research adopts a basic qualitative design to capture participants’ experiences and perceptions. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form consisting of four open-ended questions, which allowed for in-depth exploration of both the strengths and limitations of employing digital tools for comic creation. The collected data were analyzed via content analysis, leading to the emergence of three central themes: positive aspects, negative aspects, and the impact on skill development. Findings revealed that participants predominantly viewed the integration of Web 2.0 tools into comic production as beneficial for enhancing creativity, visualization, multidimensional thinking, scenario building, and technological proficiency. In addition, educational comics were found to support both cognitive and affective learning by making abstract concepts concrete, sustaining student motivation, and contributing to long-term knowledge retention. Conversely, certain challenges were also reported, including the limited accessibility of paid software features, difficulties in applying comics to every subject area, lack of sufficient computer literacy among some candidates, and the time-consuming nature of the process. Despite these drawbacks, the study highlights that the use of educational comics significantly contributed to the development of critical skills such as creative and reflective thinking, empathy, digital literacy, and planning. Overall, the research underscores the pedagogical potential of educational comics as innovative instructional materials within teacher education, while also drawing attention to practical barriers that must be addressed for more effective integration. Recommendations include the provision of structured training programs, institutional support for access to educational licenses, and guidance on ergonomic technology use to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of such practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]