Factors Affecting Teacher Candidates' Value Preferences

Abstract

Since the beginning, humankind accumulated knowledge and experiences by passing them to new generations. This accumulation within societies emerged as these societies’ values. We acquire these values from our societies and we hold them up as examples in our lives. To ensure the country’s future, educational institutions and teachers have to teach these values. The study purpose is to determine whether teacher candidates’ value preferences differ or not. Relational survey model was employed in the study. The sex of the candidates, education level of the parents, income level of the family, where they live and the program they are in make up the independent variables. Human value dimensions (power, achievement, hedonism, self-direction, stimulation, universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity and security) of the candidates make up the dependent variables of the study. The study universe consists of seniors attending Omer Halisdemir University’s Faculty of Education during the 2016-2017 academic year. Selected by random sampling method among this universe, 380 senior teacher candidates make up the study group. The study results put forth that values education has effect on female candidates’ universalism, benevolence and security value tendencies, and their value tendencies are high. Also, the higher the mother’s education level, the higher the candidates’ universalism, hedonism, benevolence and security value tendencies. Yet, father’s education level does not have any effect on candidates’ value tendencies. The study, also, reveals that teacher candidates’ family income and where they live have no effect on value tendencies. Furthermore, the programs the candidates are in have effect on their universalism, hedonism, benevolence and security value tendencies.