Perceptions Of Teacher Candidates Research Articles

Quality in Preservice Teacher Education: Exploring the Perceptions of Teacher Candidates and Teachers

The main purpose of this research is to examine the perceptions of education faculty students and education faculty graduate teachers regarding the quality of education faculties within a systemic approach. A quantitative survey research was conducted for this purpose. The population of the research consists of students in education faculties and education faculty graduate teachers in Türkiye, while the sample consists of 784 participants, including 567 education faculty students and 217 education faculty graduate teachers. The data of the research were collected using a developed scale. The research results showed that the participants' overall perceptions of the quality of education faculties were at a moderate level. The perception was found to be high in terms of teacher educators and classroom, moderate in terms of non-educational personnel, the learning-teaching process, school and faculty collaboration, output, and environmental; however, it was found to be low in terms of the encouragement of the teaching profession and feedback dimensions. Moreover, those who choose teaching as a profession due to positive factors such as social interests, family and teacher influence, and working conditions with children, as well as female teachers, had a more positive perception towards the quality of their faculties. Recommendations have been developed for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to improve the quality of teacher preparation.

Reflections of COVID-19 on Teacher Education: A Metaphor Study for Distance Education

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distance education replaced face-to-face education in the 2019-2020 academic year in Turkey. This basic qualitative study was conducted to show the metaphorical perceptions of teacher candidates about synchronous distance university education. In this study, 178 teacher candidates, including 79 secondary mathematics, 49 science, and 50 elementary teacher candidates studying in a public university in the Central Anatolia Region in the 2019-2020 academic year, were selected with the convenience sampling method. The data were collected online due to the pandemic with an online form which includes the phrase “Distance university education is like… because…”. The teacher candidates provided 173 well-structured metaphors about distance education. The content analysis method was used for data analysis. The findings obtained in this study showed that comfort, YouTube, home, incomplete, comfort, holiday, and emptiness metaphors were particularly used. Metaphors used by teacher candidates were collected under 17 different categories as "hardware", "satisfaction", "interaction", "future", "need", "complex", "comfort", "obligation", "motivation", "spiritual", "virtual", "systemic", "responsibility", “accessibility”, “suitability”, “efficiency” and “time”. The content analysis results revealed thatmetaphors differed according to the needs and nature of the departments. It is recommended to create solutions specific to the departments and prefer distance education methods suitable for the lessons.

Inquiry project or inquiry stance? A continuum of teacher candidate perceptions of knowledge construction during practitioner inquiry-based clinical practice

ABSTRACT Previous scholarship has signaled the potential of practitioner inquiry for fostering an inquiry stance among teacher candidates during preservice teacher education. Little is known, however, about the relationships teacher candidates assume vis-à-vis knowledge construction – a core dimension of inquiry stance – as they inquire. The study reported in this article investigated the perceptions of the relationship between inquiry and knowledge construction exhibited by teacher candidates engaged in practitioner inquiry during yearlong internships in a clinically based teacher education program. Semi-structured interviews served as the study’s primary data source and were analyzed through theory-led thematic analysis. The analysis yielded a six-point continuum of perceptions ranging from viewing inquiry as a required project to viewing inquiry as a way to assert ownership over generating worthwhile knowledge of teaching. The findings suggest that having a deeper understanding of how teacher candidates experience their own knowledge generation as they inquire could assist teacher educators in cultivating their inquiry stances.

Examining the perceptions of teacher candidates’ participating in a state-funded “Grow your own” initiative and exploring strategies that will retain them

ABSTRACT This article addresses a familiar topic, teaching shortages across the United States. To situate our study, we explore the impact that Grow Your Own (GYO) programs are making across K-12 schools and within communities in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States. Then, we share the perceptions of teacher candidates who participated in a GYO effort at our public university. Findings suggest that academic, social, and professional opportunities, as well as community engagement, such as field trips to educational settings in the area, were key to candidates’ wanting to remain in the program. Implications specific to diversifying the teacher pipeline are also discussed.

Metaphorical Perceptions Of Teacher Candidates Regarding Distance Education During The Pandemic Period And Post-Pandemic Period

Metaphorical Perceptions Of Teacher Candidates Regarding Distance Education During The Pandemic Period And Post-Pandemic Period

Perceptions of Teacher Candidates Toward Syrian Refugees: A Metaphor Study

The aim of the study is to identify the perceptions of teacher candidates, who are studying at different department and different grades of education faculty, towards Syrian refugees through metaphors. Phenomenology approach, one of the qualitative research methods, was used since it is the most appropriate method for studies studying individual’s perceptions through metaphors. The study group of the research consists of 264 university students who are studying teacher education at a university in Turkey. The sentence “Syrian is like ……. because ……….” were given to teacher candidates and they were asked to complete the sentence during data collection process. The process of analyzing and interpreting the metaphors is done in five stages. These are as follows; “naming stage", " Sorting (clarification and elimination) stage", " Sample metaphor compilation and categorization stage", " Establishing the inter-rater reliability rate" and “Analyzing the data quantitatively”. According to the result of this study, teacher candidates have mostly (117) negative thoughts about Syrian refugees and immigrants. Following the negative thoughts teacher candidates have, they mostly have opinions about Turkey and Turkey’s condition with refugees. In fact, these teacher candidates (63 of them) are worried about the Turkey’s and local people’s future. Another result of the study is that some of the teacher candidates (38 of them) have pity thoughts about refugees.

The Metaphorical Perceptions of Teacher Candidates on the Concept of Spelling

This research aims to determine teacher candidates’ perceptions of the concept of spelling through metaphors. Phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the research. The easily accessible sampling method, which is one of the purposive sampling methods, was used to form the study group of the research. The participants of the research are 88 teacher candidates studying at a university in Turkey. In the research, to determine the opinions of teacher candidates on the concept of spelling through metaphors, “spelling … similar/like to; because…” were provided to fill in the blanks in the open-ended question form with the metaphor they wanted. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the obtained data. As a result of the research, it was determined that 74 metaphors in 9 categories were produced by 88 teacher candidates. As a result of the analysis of the findings obtained from the research, the teacher candidates’ concept of spelling; they defined as the rules that ensure the effective, correct, and beautiful use of the language, and enable it to be understood, facilitate the narration, eliminate the confusion of concepts, and which must be followed according to a certain standard in writing. As a result of the research, it was concluded that the teacher candidates’ perceptions of the concept of spelling were positive and their awareness levels were high. In addition, it was determined that teacher candidates expressed the concept of spelling as a systematic, regular, and harmonious composition that adds color and flavor to life, develops intelligence and memory, and emerges as a result of regular studies.

Metaphorical Perceptions of Teacher Candidates towards Mind and Intelligence Games

Bu araştırma, öğretmen adaylarının akıl ve zeka oyunlarına yönelik metaforik algılarını belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu, ölçüt örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen 102 öğretmen adayından oluşmaktadır. Araştırmada veriler katılımcıların her birinin akıl ve zeka oyunları . . . gibidir. Çünkü, . . .” cümlesini tamamlamasıyla toplanmıştır. Veriler içerik analizi tekniği kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada; katılımcıların 81 metafor ürettikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Üretilen metaforlar 4 tema ve 8 kategoriye ayrılmıştır. Katılımcıların akıl ve zeka oyunları sürecine yönelik olumlu metaforlar ürettikleri belirlenmiştir. Bunun yanı sıra akıl ve zeka oyunlarının hem kişisel hem de akademik anlamda önemli katkılar sağladığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen veriler kategoriler açısından incelendiğinde katılımcıların akıl ve zeka oyunlarına yönelik ürettikleri metaforlar çoğunlukla Gelişim ve Çok Yönlülük kategorileri içerisinde; en az ise Tedavi ve Transfer kategorileri içerisinde yer aldığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen veriler metaforlar açısından incelendiğinde katılımcıların akıl ve zeka oyunlarını çoğunlukla; anahtar ve çark metaforları ile açıkladıkları sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

An Emphatic Perspective: How Do Pre-School and Classroom Teacher Candidates Interpret Child Abuse and Neglect?

This study aims to evaluate the perceptions of teacher candidates regarding child abuse and neglect as well as propose preventive measures. Utilizing a phenomenological design, a qualitative research method, the study focuses on understanding the unique experiences of individuals. The sample was selected through purposive random sampling and homogeneous sampling techniques. Data was gathered from 13 participants, including 7 elementary education candidates and 6 pre-school education candidates, at the Faculty of Education of a public university in Turkey during the 2018-2019 academic year. The participants' work was analyzed using "content and descriptive analysis" methods. The study found that teacher candidates depicted child abuse and neglect as "a distressing situation that makes children unhappy." In their drawings, they predominantly used black to represent abused children, while abusers were symbolized through metaphors such as "dirty, darkened hands." The research demonstrated that the teacher candidates were capable of defining child abuse, understanding its various forms, empathizing with the emotions of abused children, and proposing potential solutions.

Examination of pre-service teachers' perceptions of the concept of fraction using the word association test

In this study, it is aimed to examine the perceptions of the mathematics teacher candidates regarding the concept of fraction. 32 teacher candidates participated in the research carried out in the screening model. The word association test was used as a data collection tool and the obtained data were analyzed by content analysis method. According to the results of the analysis, it is seen that the perceptions of teacher candidates regarding the concept of fraction are mostly concentrated in the themes of meanings of fractions, operations in fractions, and representation of fractions. In addition, the themes of numbers, notation, and other mathematical topics in which it is used are other themes that emerged. It was seen that the teacher candidates expressed the quotient meaning at most, they did not mention the percent meaning. It was seen that they mostly expressed the addition operation in fractions and the type of compound fraction. As a result, it is seen that pre-service teachers' perceptions about the concept of fraction are limited. Pre-service teachers can be given a more comprehensive and relational education on the concept of fraction.

Teacher education in 2022: Teacher candidates’ echos of the past with a pathway for future preparation

This research details the perceptions of teacher candidates’ assessments as preparation and changes that have taken place in schools since 2020. The respondents (n = 28) were in teacher preparation programs, from early childhood to eight grade. Levels of self-efficacy was measured, in five dimensions of education, using a Likert-type survey and an open-ended question.The results revealed teacher candidates expressed a lower level of self-efficacy in working with children with special needs and in working and communicating with parents. The discussion includes recommendations, in mitigating the growing issue of teacher retention and reducing attrition rates, for teacher practitioners.

Metaphorical Perceptions of Teacher Candidates on the Concept of a Paid Teacher

Araştırmada, öğretmen adaylarının ücretli öğretmen kavramına ilişkin metaforik algılarını ortaya çıkarmak amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, nitel bir yönteme sahip olup araştırma modeli olarak olgubilim (fenomenoloji) modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, İnönü Üniversitesinde 2021-2022 eğitim-öğretim yılında öğrenim gören Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği, Türkçe Öğretmenliği, İlköğretim Matematik Öğretmenliği, Sınıf Öğretmenliği, Okul Öncesi Öğretmenliği ve Fen Bilgisi Öğretmenliği 4. sınıf öğretmen adayları içerisinden 107 kadın ve 37 erkek olmak üzere toplam 144 öğretmen adayı oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu belirlenirken ölçüt örnekleme ve basit seçkisiz örnekleme yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın verileri, yarı yapılandırılmış açık uçlu görüşme formu aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizi ve yorumlanması sürecinde içerik analizi (tümevarım) tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadaki metaforik çağrışımlarından elde edilen verilerle toplamda 95 metafora ulaşılmıştır. Bu metaforlar içerisinden en sık vurgulanan Köle (20) metaforu olurken sıklıkla vurgulananlar arasında; Mevsimlik işçi (5), Taşeron işçi (3), Amele (3), Emek hırsızlığı (3) ve Asgari ücret (2) metaforlarının olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Çıkan sonuçlardan da anlaşılacağı üzere öğretmen adayları tarafından ücretli öğretmenlik uygulamasına duyulan memnuniyetsizlik dile getirilmiştir.

Motivation Factors Of Candidates Teachers For Their Professions

The purpose of this research is to determine the motivation factors of teacher candidates regarding the teaching profession. For this purpose, this study was designed with a cross-sectional scanning model, since the data collection process was carried out in one go. The study group of the research, which was designed with the phenomenology pattern, which is one of the qualitative research methods, consists of 20 teacher candidates studying in various departments of Atatürk University Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education in the 2021-2022 academic year. The data obtained with the semi-structured interview form were analyzed with the help of content analysis. According to the results of the research, teacher candidates are more positively motivated by internal factors related to the teaching profession. Almost all of the negative motivational factors are exogenous. It is seen that these motivational factors affect the attitudes and perceptions of teacher candidates towards their profession. It can be ensured that competent teachers who are motivated by their work can be trained by increasing the motivational elements that are seen as positive by the novice teachers and by reducing the elements that are seen as negative. In this way, significant gains can be achieved at the point of achieving educational goals.

Teacher Candidate Perceptions of Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds

Field experience is at the heart of many teacher education programs in America. The early field experiences teacher candidates receive can set a foundation for future success in their teacher education program and even throughout their teaching career. The students in this study were enrolled in a university in a rural Midwestern state and 90% claimed residency in that state. The Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds were embedded in a 25-hour early field experience to provide a small group of teacher candidates with the opportunity to see multiple elementary teachers teach in their own classrooms in real time. Teacher candidates used a discussion protocol to debrief what they witnessed and reflected on how the experience influenced their learning about teaching. Over a two-year span, the teacher candidates who participated in Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds were surveyed to ascertain their impressions of the instructional rounds experience. The survey also asked teacher candidates about the potential impact of Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds on their future teaching practice. The survey results indicated that the time spent in the instructional rounds process was time well spent.

Does University Effect Gender Perceptions of Teacher Candidates in Turkey?: Reasons and Implications

The aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of teacher candidates about gender perception according to gender, university and department variables. Survey model was used to reveal the current situation in the research. The study group consisted of 269 teacher candidates who are studying three different universities in Turkey. In the 2018-2019 academic year. The data of the study were collected using the “gender perception scale”, which consists of expressions about gender roles for women and men and developed by Altınova and Duyan (2013). According to the research findings, the gender variable has a high effect on the participants' perception of gender, and women's gender perception is more positive. The university variable has a medium effect on gender perception. The pre-service teachers' perception about gender is higher in the university, the foundation year of which is older. The variable of department has a low effect on gender perception. Based on the finding of the effect of the university variable that emerged in this research, gender equality index can be examined for all universities

An online field experience using mixed reality virtual simulation

A convergent parallel mixed methods study was employed to investigate teacher candidates’, peers’, and the instructor’s perceptions of teacher candidates’ teaching performance during an online field experience using virtual simulation in a mixed reality environment. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously, analyzed separately, then merged to explore the differences and similarities between teacher candidates’, peers’, and instructor’s perceptions. The results revealed (1) teacher candidates were not accurately assessing their instructional practices or the instructional practices of their peers when compared to the instructor’s assessment, (2) instructor and peer coaching were very beneficial, (3) teacher candidates and the instructor believed online instruction was difficult, and (4) perspectives about the authenticity of the online virtual simulation were ambiguous.

Experiencing the future: preservice teacher perceptions of the solution-focused brief coaching approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to describe teacher candidate perceptions of the influence of solution-focused brief coaching (SFBC) sessions on movement toward self-identified outcomes. The SFBC approach emanated from the London-based organization BRIEF: The Centre for Solution Focused Practice (BRIEF, n.d.).Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study engaged ten participants in two SFBC sessions. In the first coaching session, participants identified a “preferred future” and described what would be happening when it came to fruition. Coaches employed SFBC elements such as the “miracle question,” scaling questions, descriptions of strengths and recognition of resources already in place (Iveson et al., 2012). In the second session, following coaching, participants shared their perceptions and experiences of the SFBC process.FindingsAll participants reported movement toward desired outcomes, and their perceptions of the SFBC process revealed five themes: an increase in positive emotion, enhanced self-efficacy, value in the co-construction of their preferred future, the coaching process as a catalyst for actualizing their preferred future and adoption of a solution-focused lens in other contexts.Originality/valueThis study answers the call for additional research in three areas: it provides data from completed SFBC sessions, examines participant follow-up on progress toward their preferred futures and provides insight regarding the coaching relationship dynamic. In addition, it provides qualitative findings for the SFBC approach, which have traditionally been dominated by quantitative results.

Metaphoric Perceptions of Teacher Candidates about COVID-19

Metaphoric Perceptions of Teacher Candidates about COVID-19

Perceptions of Pre-service Teachers Regarding to Entrepreneurship Education: A Metaphoric Study

Without being aware of it, metaphorical concepts reveal their expressions word for word in our social life. It is the expression of thoughts using concrete and abstract concepts. The aim of this study is to reveal the mental perceptions of teacher candidates about entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship skills by using metaphors. The participants of the study are teacher candidates studying in ten different branches at the Faculty of Education in Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University in the 2019-2020 academic year. In the research, as a data collection tool, a form that includes the expression "Entrepreneurship education / entrepreneurship skill…… because……" was used to identify metaphors for entrepreneurship education. The data obtained from the data collection tool were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques. Content analysis and metaphor analysis were used in the analysis of the data. According to the findings obtained from the study, pre-service teachers produced a total of 100 metaphors for entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship skills. These metaphors have been classified into three categories in total, without metaphors for the theoretical framework of entrepreneurship education, metaphors for the values of entrepreneurship education, and metaphors for skills of entrepreneurship education.

Teacher Candidates' Value Perceptions and Their Opinions on the Acquisition of Values in Education Faculties

This research aims to determine teacher candidates’ value perceptions and their opinions on the acquisition of values to teacher candidates, in education faculties. In the research, a survey model was used to describe an existing situation. In this context, a questionnaire was applied to 2274 teacher candidates. Research results show that the value perceptions of male teacher candidates are lower than female teacher candidates. The value perceptions of teacher candidates who chose the teaching profession because they had to, were lower than those who preferred it because they loved it. Perceptions of teacher candidates about the acquisition of values are low in the sub-dimensions of understanding and empathy, and medium in the other sub-dimensions. Teacher candidates’ perceptions of the values that teachers should have are quite high in all sub-dimensions. Despite this, the scores regarding the acquisition of the same values in education faculties are statistically significantly lower and middle levels. These results indicate that the values cannot be gained enough in education faculties. Various suggestions were made in line with the research findings and results, and recommendations were made for future research.