The Relationship between Pre-service Teachers' Lifelong Learning Tendencies and Teaching Profession Anxiety Levels

Duygu Saniye Öztürk,Raşit Özen

doi:10.13189/ujer.2016.041302

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the relationship between pre-service teachers' the lifelong learning tendencies and teaching profession anxiety levels with respect to certain variables (their gender and subject area) and is designed as a survey study. The fourth year pre-service teachers (n= 455) in the spring semester of the 2015 - 2016 academic year at Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu-Turkey formed the study group. In the study, Lifelong Learning Tendencies Scale by Coskun [9] and Teacher Candidate Anxiety Scale by Saban, Korkmaz and Akbasli [27] were used as data collection instruments. The data were analyzed through using the SSPS for Windows 20 Program and for the analysis of the data, the mean and standard deviation scores were calculated, an independent samples t-test, One-Way ANOVA and LSD tests were used and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient scores were calculated. The findings of the study indicated a significant, positive and low level of relationship between pre-service teachers' lifelong learning tendencies and teaching profession anxiety levels. Significant gender differences were found in favor of male pre-service teachers when lifelong learning tendencies of pre-service teachers are concerned. Also, significant gender differences were found in favor of in favor of female pre-service teachers when their perceptions about their teaching profession anxiety levels are concerned. When pre-service teachers' subject – areas are focus of attention, significant differences were observed in favor of the perceptions of science teaching pre-service teachers when their perceptions about their lifelong learning tendencies and teaching profession anxieties are observed.

Highlights

In recent years various rapid changes and developments are observed in all areas in the world
Lifelong learning can be considered as an important concept and European Commission [EC][12] defined lifelong learning as “all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective (p:9)”
The aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between the lifelong learning tendencies of pre-service teachers and of their teaching profession anxiety levels with respect to certain variables

Summary

Introduction

In recent years various rapid changes and developments are observed in all areas (science, technology, economy, communication, industry and in other fields of study) in the world. As the consequence of this, people have to renew and to update themselves in terms of their knowledge, skills and competencies and they have to develop themselves both professionally and individually in order to catch up and to keep pace with these changes and developments during their lifespan In this respect, lifelong learning can be considered as an important concept and European Commission [EC][12] defined lifelong learning as “all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective (p:9)”. ; pre-service teachers should be taken into account and investigated during their training periods at the universities in terms of their individual characteristics In this regard, In this regard, Cabi and Yalçınalp [7] summarize the importance of this is fact as follows: “Prospective teacher’s emotions and perceptions are changing so rapidly due to recent developments in technology as well as changes in social and economic structures of the societies. The literature ([4]; [6]; [22]) lists some of the causes of teaching profession anxiety as follows: being appointed as a teacher, Public Personnel Selection Examination (PPSE-KPSS) or finding a job, specific characteristics of learning situations (teaching planning, the ability to analyze problems and learning, classroom management, student assessment), teaching competencies, supervision, professional career and development, being unqualified and skilled in the field of study, the status and the value of the profession in the society, decrease in employment opportunities, working in a different fields, increase in the number of university graduates, heavy work conditions, changing education system

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