A Study on Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy, Motivation and Affection Levels for Children

Vesile Yildiz Demirtaş

doi:10.11114/jets.v6i12.3661

Vesile Yildiz Demirtaş

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i12.3661

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Abstract

The purpose of this research is to reveal the levels of affection for children, teaching motivations and self-efficacy beliefs of the teacher candidates studying in special education, pre-school and primary school teaching departments based on their gender, classroom and academic branches to showcase the correlations between the levels of the teachers’ affection for children, their self-efficacy beliefs and teaching motivations. The study group was determined with the criterion sampling method. 368 teacher candidates participated in this study: 108 from special education department, 136 from pre-school department and 136 from primary school teacher department. The data were collected by means of ‘Barnett Liking Children, Teaching Motivations and Perception of Teacher Self-efficacy Scales’. The data were analyzed using independent group t-tests, one –way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis. The results show that the teacher candidates from the three departments have a high level of affection for children. Their motivations to teach and self-efficacy beliefs are higher than the average value. It is revealed that there is an average positive correlation between liking children and teacher self-efficacy in using teaching strategies. However, the data results disclosed that the teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs, students’ participation, teaching motivations, and teaching strategies predict their affection for children significantly and positively. Teacher candidates should be enabled to establish direct experiences with the group they shall work with in order to develop the self-efficiency beliefs of them.

Highlights

Nowadays, teaching has become a very important profession
This research aims to reveal the level of affection for children, teaching motivations and self-efficacy beliefs of teacher candidates studying at special education, preschool and primary school teacher departments based on their gender, class and departments and to examine the correlations among their liking levels, self-efficacy beliefs and teaching motivations
The levels of liking children, teaching motivations and self-efficacy beliefs of the teacher candidates studying in special education, pre-school and primary school teacher departments are determined

Summary

Introduction

Nowadays, teaching has become a very important profession. The development of the society is closely linked to the efficacies and personal characteristics of teachers. Most researchers emphasize that teachers relatively should have more distinguished and distinctive characteristics than other workers in the society (Downing, Ryndak & Clark 2000; Gelbal & Duyan, 2010; Açıkgöz 2012; Kabaklı Çimen 2015). They should be innovative, have positive attitude towards students and teaching, be interested in music, painting, literature, be good readers, consider self-development, be sensitive, empathic, cooperative, flexible, compassionate, fair, have strong sense of responsibility, be experts, open to new things, contemplative, respectful and be patient. Loving a child is regarded one of the most accepted forms of unconditional love (Duyan & Gelbal, 2008)

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