AN INVESTIGATION OF SELF-EFFICACY AND PERCEIVED BENEFIT BELIEFS REGARDING DISTANCE EDUCATION OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS AS FUTURE IMPLEMENTERS

Abstract

The current study aims to explore self-efficacy and perceived benefit beliefs of preservice teachers regarding distance education according to their experiences as future implementers of distance education from an undergraduate distance education course they received. A case study was employed including both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The participants of the current study were 143 preservice teachers who had completed a distance education course during their undergraduate program at a university in Turkey. Quantitative data were collected through two, five-point, Likert-type scales, with one that assessed self-efficacy towards distance education and one that assessed perceived benefit beliefs regarding distance education. Qualitative data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire. Descriptive statistics results from the scale data revealed that the mean scores for the constructs of self-efficacy and perceived benefit of distance education ranged from 3.66 to 4.07. Correlation analysis results indicated that the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy towards distance education was significantly related to their perceived benefit from distance education, r = .56, p < .01. The preservice teachers mentioned positive aspects of their distance education course under (1) Contribution of the course to the preservice teachers’ knowledge and skills development for technology integration, (2) Contribution of the course to the preservice teachers’ knowledge and skills development for designing effective distance education, (3) Positive features of the distance education course, and (4) Positive features of distance education in general. The preservice teachers stated negative aspects under (1) Issues related to common course components, and (2) Issues related to technology. The research results and implications are presented and discussed within this study.