The Relationship between Philosophical Tendencies and Teaching Style Preferences of Physical Education Teacher Candidates

Abstract

The teaching methods employed by teachers are interconnected with their educational philosophy tendencies. Determining teacher candidates' teaching style preferences and philosophical orientations toward education, as well as studying their relationship, might provide insights about the classroom environment they will establish when they begin their teaching career in the future. To examine this connection, this study aimed to compare the educational philosophy tendencies of PE teacher candidates, their preferred teaching styles, and their value perceptions of styles based on gender and grade levels and to determine if there is a relationship between philosophical tendencies and teaching style preferences. The research included 242 PE teacher candidates. The study utilized the "Physical Education Teachers' Use of Teaching Styles and Perceptions of Styles Questionnaire" and "Educational Philosophy Tendencies Scale" for data collection. The data was analyzed using independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis. The research results revealed that among the educational philosophy tendencies of PE teacher candidates, there was only a difference in the essentialist philosophy of education according to gender, and there was no difference according to grade level. However, it was observed that the teaching style preferences of PE teacher candidates did not differ according to gender and grade level. The study revealed a correlation between the preferred teaching styles, the value perceptions of these styles, and the educational philosophy approaches of teacher candidates.