Turkish Pre-service Teachers Research Articles

Effects of loneliness and depression on pre-service teachers’ self-esteem: a mixed method study

ABSTRACT The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationships between depression, self-esteem, and loneliness among Turkish pre-service teachers. The study emphasized that it is valuable to address psychological well-being and social support of students preparing for the Public Personnel Selection Examination (PPSE). The study, which was a sequential explanatory design, included 322 college of education students. The quantitative results indicated that there was a strong correlation between depression, self-esteem, and loneliness scores. Depression significantly predicted self-esteem. When depression scores increased, self-esteem scores decreased. Furthermore, the findings indicated that individuals who had higher self-esteem scores, had lower loneliness scores. Qualitative results showed that time management, test anxiety, and performance-related issues were among the difficulties encountered during PPSE preparation. The results of the current study demonstrated the significance of emphasizing social support, useful coping mechanisms, and attending to students’ psychological and emotional health during high-stakes exams such as the PPSE.

Turkish Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing Physics Problem-Solving Abilities

The purpose of this study was to identify the the factors that influenced pre-service teachers' perceptions of their abilities to solve structured physics problems. 1185 pre-service teachers from different disciplines, enrolled in physics courses in one Turkish University from 2008 to 2017 participated in a descriptive survey. The factors influencing the pre-service r physics problem-solving abilities, ranking from most to least, were as follows: personal characteristics; quality of secondary or university physics teaching; secondary school physics education, and physics learning environment. The study implies the need for: (i) equal opportunities; (ii) knowledge integration; and (iii) learning affordances, which are relevant not only to Turkey but also to worldwide physics education.

Literature and Media: A Closer Look at Literature through a Social Networking Application

Today, traditional literacy habits are changing with various technological tools in digital environments. Social reading platforms are one of these innovations and changes. These networks are widely used in the world and in Turkey. The application 1000Kitap, the largest book reader network in Turkey, is one of these social networks. In this study, the opinions of pre-service teachers who review the books they read on this application, their attitudes towards reading and writing, and the contributions of this application to pre-service teachers were examined. The study was conducted with fifty-five Turkish pre-service teachers within the scope of the world literature course in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. In the study, it was aimed to examine in detail the views of pre-service Turkish teachers on the 1000Kitap application by using mixed method. The quantitative dimension of the research is a survey model that tries to describe the existing situation as it is. In the quantitative dimension of the study, survey technique, one of the data collection techniques of this model, was used. In the qualitative dimension of the study, a case study, one of the qualitative research methods, was conducted. The qualitative data used in the study were obtained from a semi-structured interview form. It was found that the attitudes of the pre-service teachers who examined the work they read in the 1000Kitap application, made quotations, and shared their opinions were at a high level; their opinions about the application were very motivating and useful in terms of interaction and sharing; the application increased their reading motivation and contributed to the opportunity to see different perspectives.

Perceptions of the sustainable development goals: a Q-methodology study with Turkish preservice teachers

This study identified preservice teachers’ perceptions toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study group comprised 22 Turkish preservice primary school teachers. The Q-methodology was adopted, the statements of which concerned the 17 SDGs. The data analysis revealed two main perspectives: the prioritization of basic human needs and the prioritization of future human needs. As a common perception, preservice teachers placed a higher priority on peace, justice, and strong institutions, no poverty, and quality education than on any of the other SDGs. The results shed light on how preservice teachers perceive the SDGs. Different perspectives of preservice teachers on the SDGs may influence their future teaching practice. This study highlights the importance of considering different perspectives among preservice teachers to ensure the effective implementation of SDGs in education.

Pre-Service Turkish and English Teachers’ Achievement Levels, Perceptions of Self-Efficacy and Attitudes in relation to Summarizing Skills

This study aims to compare pre-service Turkish and English teachers’ achievement levels, perceptions of self-efficacy and attitudes in relation to summarizing skills. This study adopted a sequential mixed method research design and there were 265 pre-service teachers who were chosen via convenience sampling. The data were obtained via a story summary rubric, the summarizing attitude scale, summarizing self-efficacy perception scale and a semi-structured interview form. While the quantitative data were analyzed by statistical methods, the qualitative data were subjected to summative content analysis. According to the findings, summarizing achievement level of the participants was at a good level. Also, it was found that the participants had a high level of belief in the importance of summarizing, they enjoyed summarizing at a moderate level, and their attitude scores towards summarizing were high. In addition, the participants' summary-based reading, summary writing and self-efficacy perceptions of summarizing were at a high level. On the other hand, it was revealed that there were no significant differences between the scores of the pre-service English and Turkish teachers in terms of summarizing achievement levels, believing in the importance of summarizing, reading for summarizing, writing summary and summarizing self-efficacy. Finally, there was a significant difference in favor of the pre-service Turkish teachers in the dimension of enjoying summarizing and the overall scores of the summarizing attitudes scale.

A Mixed-Method Study on the Distance Education Process Experienced in the Faculties of Education

Based on the experiences of preservice Turkish teachers (PTTs) along with the transition to distance education, the objective of this study was to evaluate their views on this process in terms of various variables and determine the problems they experienced during the distance education process. One hundred eighty PTTs constituted the sample of the present mixed-method study. Afterward, 40 PTTs were selected from the sample by the criterion sampling method, and their responses to open-ended questions constituted the qualitative data. The data were collected online using the “Interview Form for Distance Education” developed through Google Forms. Descriptive statistical (percentage and frequency distributions) techniques, the chi-square technique for a single sample and two variables were used to analyze quantitative data, and the qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The study showed that most PTTs regarded the attainments obtained through distance education as not equivalent to face-to-face education, and there was no significant relationship between these views and gender, grade level, and grade point average. However, there was a significant relationship between PTTs’ problems in distance education, their places of residence, and connection speed. Furthermore, while quite few PTTs thought that distance education was beneficial to developing higher-order thinking and language skills and enriching interaction, most preservice teachers found distance education useful in terms of providing an opportunity to repeat the course content and ensuring space and time flexibility.

A research on online self-regulated learning skills of pre-service Turkish teachers

With online learning being on the agenda again in higher education, university students had different views about the online learning process. While some students evaluated this process as an advantage, others expressed the difficulties of the process. There are reasons, such as students' ability to organize their learning processes and being aware of their capacities under these different views. It was observed that students possessing such skills implement various strategies during the learning process and adapt it to their needs. Self-regulation is a prerequisite for a successful learning process and emphasizes the learner's autonomy and personal preferences. Self-regulation skills have become more noteworthy, especially in the online learning process, where students become passive recipients. While students who have developed self-regulation skills in the online learning process are successful, students who do not have this skill are more disadvantaged. Therefore, in this process, we come across two opposite groups, those who turn online learning into an advantage and those who cannot manage this process. This study aimed to assess the self-regulated learning skills of pre-service Turkish teachers who underwent online learning. This study was designed according to the descriptive survey method and was limited to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-grade students in the Department of Turkish Language Teaching. In this study, Online Self-Regulated Learning Scale used developed by Barnard et al. (2008) and adopted into Turkish by Samsa Yetik (2011). The obtained data were analyzed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 25 program. This study found that pre-service teachers' online self-regulation skills differed depending on their previous experience with distance education. Significant differences were found in different sub-dimensions of pre-service teachers' online self-regulation skills based on synchronous or asynchronous attendance in distance education courses.

The Effect of the Socio-Emotional Learning for Professional Development (SEL-PD) Program on Turkish Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Practices

The use of socio-emotional learning skills in the classroom is one of the most important teacher competencies. Therefore this study aimed to examine the change in early childhood pre-service teachers’ professional perceptions, knowledge and skills throughout the Socio-Emotional Learning for Professional Development Program which was developed to provide support for pre-service teachers. The sample of this qualitative study consisted from 25 early childhood pre-service teachers whom selected through criterion based purposeful sampling. They met the criterion of completing the School Experience Course and having ongoing teaching practice at a kindergarten with 3-6 year old children. Data collected through Demographic Information Form and Structured Interview Form. Structured interview form include questions regarding participants’ perceptions on teachers’ professional development, emotion socialization responses, their interaction with children and the program outputs on their professional development. The findings showed that pre-service teachers’ perceptions and practices towards professional development and socio-emotional learning have been changed positively after the program implementation. Besides, their emotional awareness and emotion socialization skills have been improved. It is revealed that this changes also improved their classroom practices that they displayed more social emotional learning skills and less negative emotion socialization behaviors during their classroom practices. Findings were asserted concerning the importance of pre-service teacher training in terms of acquiring socio-emotional learning.

Pre-Service Turkish and Classroom Teachers’ Views on Root Values

Values are the building blocks of a society; they create societies and contain their characteristics. Accordingly, the teaching of values is very important for a society. The role of teachers in the teaching of values is large. In the 2019 curriculum for Turkish language classes, such values are also referred to as ten root values. Therefore, it is necessary for teachers and pre-service teachers to know the ten root values in the Turkish language teaching programme in terms of teaching values. In this study, the views of pre-service Turkish teachers and pre-service classroom teachers on root values were analysed. The study group consisted of a total of 60 pre-service teachers from Turkish education (30) and classroom education (30) programmes who were studying at a public university in the second semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. A semi-structured interview form consisting of five open-ended questions was administered to these pre-service teachers and the obtained data were analysed with content analysis. When the results of the research were evaluated, it was concluded that pre-service Turkish and classroom education teachers considered values to be basic elements. Pre-service teachers described the role of values in education as supportive, while pre-service Turkish teachers also described the concept as necessary and pre-service classroom teachers described it as a way of raising useful individuals. It was concluded that both groups viewed root values as the values people should have, and the values they viewed as priorities were love and justice. Both groups suggested that empathy be added to the root values. Despite some differences, Turkish and classroom education pre-service teachers generally shared the same views on values and root values.

Yabancı Dil Öğretimi Sınıflarında Derlem Kullanımı Eğitimi: Öğretmen Adaylarının Algıları

This study investigated the perceptions of 108 Turkish pre-service EFL teachers (PSTs) at a state university in Turkey regarding integrating corpora into language classrooms after the two-week training conducted. Despite the growing interest in using corpora in EFL contexts, very little research has addressed pre-service EFL teachers' perceptions of corpus use. Following a qualitative research design, multiple data collection tools, such as a background survey, pre- and post-training semi-structured interviews, and reflective logs, were utilized. The findings revealed that the PSTs found corpus use beneficial for teaching vocabulary and grammar and preparing authentic teaching materials despite a few drawbacks, such as providing limited daily access and having too much data to analyze. Their remarks revealed that the PSTs would consult corpora in their future teaching experiences. These findings would be useful for teacher educators and teachers who favor using corpora to enrich language learning experiences.

Toward proficiency: Developing a multiplication mathematical content knowledge test for pre-service mathematics teachers in Indonesia and Türkiye

This study aimed to develop a specific Mathematical Content Knowledge (MCK) test focused on multiplication for pre-service mathematics teachers in Indonesia and Türkiye. No assessment tool exists to measure MCK related to multiplication among pre-service mathematics teachers. We used convenience sampling to obtain data from third- and fourth-year pre-service teachers in Indonesian and Turkish mathematics teacher education programs. The test items were administered to 423 Indonesian pre-service mathematics teachers and 413 Turkish pre-service mathematics teachers, and their responses were analyzed using factor analysis. The MCK test was found to be reliable, with 18 items that were grouped into four components: procedural knowledge of multiplication (C1), understanding of multiple representations (C2), conceptual knowledge of multiplication (C3), and anticipating students' thinking (C4). The study results suggest that a valid MCK test helps evaluate multiplication in these four components. Additionally, the study findings indicate that Indonesian pre-service teachers score higher in the C1 and C4 categories, while Turkish pre-service teachers score higher in the C2 and C3 categories.

The Impact of Online Reflective Practice-oriented Assessment on the Self-efficacy of Turkish EFL Pre-service Teachers: A Case Study

The purpose of this mixed-methods case study is to explore the impact of online reflective practice-based assessment, virtual mentoring and video-mediated self-assessment on the self-efficacy of Turkish pre-service teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in a practicum course in the 2021/2022 academic year. The Turkish version of Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy scale by Capa, et al. (2005) was used to collect the quantitative data. Paired sample t-test was employed in the quantitative data analysis. Semi-structured interviews, reflection journals, and video-mediated post-teaching self-assessment forms were utilized in the qualitative data collection. Thematic content analysis was used in the qualitative data analysis. Findings indicated while verbal persuasion and enactive mastery experiences were regarded as the main self-efficacy sources for pre-service EFL teachers, affective states were also found influential in their self-efficacy perceptions. The study revealed the favorable impact of virtual mentoring and video-mediated self-assessment on pre-service EFL teachers’ self-efficacy development.
 
 Key words: online, reflective, practice-based assessment, self-efficacy, EFL pre-service teacher

Eliciting Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Views on Coursebooks Through Metaphorical Language

Unearthing pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards coursebooks might well have important implications both for pre- and in-service teacher education since of all the wide range of materials used in English language teaching (ELT), coursebooks are still the most widely used materials in school settings. In this regard, this study aims to surface pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ beliefs on coursebooks through metaphorical language. Data gathered from 129 Turkish pre-service teachers of English are presented and discussed in the present study. Qualitative content analysis was employed in this study to analyze the metaphors provided by the pre-service EFL teachers. The participants produced 70 different metaphors for coursebooks and data analysis revealed seven conceptual categories: Guidance, Resource, Support, Access to New Opportunities, Worthlessness, Restrictions and Boredom. The participants produced mostly positive metaphors for coursebooks and saw coursebooks as a support and guide for language education.

Investigation of time management skills of pre-service teachers in terms of various variables

The study aimed to examine the time management skills of pre-service teachers in terms of various variables. The study is important in terms of both quantitative and qualitative data in terms of planning time, being aware of the importance of time and knowing their habits that will make them waste time and revealing what their attitudes are about it. The study group of the research consists of Turkish pre-service teachers. "Time Management Questionnaire" and three open-ended questions were used as data collection tools. The results of the study show that pre-service Turkish teachers' time management skills differ according to gender, academic gpa, daily smartphone use and daily book reading habits; there was no significant difference according to the grade variable. In the study, it was concluded that as the daily smartphone usage time of pre-service teachers increased, their time management skill scores decreased; as the daily book reading time increased, their time management skill scores increased. The qualitative findings of the study showed that the majority of the pre-service teachers made short or long term plans, were aware of the importance of time and its efficient use, and the habit that they thought spent too much of their time was the smartphone; quantitative findings showed that the pre-service teachers' time management was at the "medium" level. We believe that the results of the study on determining the situations of pre-service teachers regarding time management through quantitative and qualitative data will both contribute to the field and guide further studies.

The Relationship between Technology Addiction and Attitude toward Reading: An Investigation on Pre-Service Teachers.

In this study, we aimed to examine pre-service teachers' attitudes toward reading books and their technology addictions. We used a correlational survey model. The sample of this study consisted of a Turkish pre-service teachers group studying at the Department of Turkish Education in the education faculty of a state university in Turkey. Our research used the "Attitude Scale Towards Reading" and "Technology Addiction Scale" as data collection tools. As a result of the study, we determined that the attitudes towards reading of pre-service teachers were positive. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in favor of female pre-service teachers in the sub-dimensions of book-reading love, reluctance to read, and stress. The significant difference in the online game-playing sub-dimension of technology addiction favored male pre-service teachers. On the other hand, we found a negative meaningful relationship between pre-service teachers' technology addiction and their attitudes toward reading.

Metacognitive knowledge and openness to diversity and challenge among Turkish pre-service EFL teachers: The mediating role of creative self-efficacy

The psychology of second language (L2) teachers has captured a growing interest among educational researchers in the past decades. However, the interaction among teachers’ job-related metacognition, diversity acceptance, and self-efficacy beliefs has been left under-researched. To fill this lacuna, this study examined the levels of metacognitive knowledge, openness to diversity and challenge, and creative self-efficacy and their correlation using a survey with 606 pre-service EFL teachers in Turkey. It also set out to display if metacognitive knowledge is a significant predictor of openness to diversity and challenge when creative self-efficacy is a mediator of their relationship. The results indicated that the participants displayed moderate levels of metacognitive knowledge (X̄ = 3.91), openness to diversity and challenge (X̄ = 3.97), and creative self-efficacy (X̄ = 5.18). Moreover, the results of Pearson correlations indicated a positive moderate correlation among the constructs. Additionally, the results of path analysis regression indicated that metacognitive knowledge is a significant predictor of openness to diversity and challenge when creative self-efficacy mediated their relationship. The study concludes with some future research directions and implications for L2 education regarding the psychology of teaching and the promotion of diversity and creativity.

Identity (Re)Construction of Turkish Pre-service Language Teachers during the Practicum

Teacher identity has been prioritized in current research related to teacher education in order to understand teaching and learning context. This case study investigates identity (re)construction of three pre-service English teachers during the practicum. Drawing on sociocultural theory, how pre-service teachers constructed their identities and enacted their agencies in the field school was examined based on the narratives of the participants. Data collection tools included reflective papers and semi-structured interviews with the participants. Analysis of the qualitative data revealed the following themes related to identity formation of pre-service teachers during the practicum: their imagined selves (Wenger, 1998), the practicum as shaping their identity, and directions for future selves as a result of practicum experience. It was found that previous experiences of the participants as language learners and interaction with the parties including mentor teacher and students in the field school had both positive and negative impacts on identity formation of pre-service teachers. Findings of the study is expected to contribute to the relevant literature, and suggestions are presented for further studies.

Five-factor personality traits as predictors of intercultural sensitivity among Turkish preservice teachers

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between the five-factor personality traits and intercultural sensitivity among Turkish preservice teachers. The participants of this study were 1218 college students enrolled at a university located in the central Black Sea Region of Türkiye. The participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. The preservice teachers responded to a survey comprising the Personal Information Form, Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, and Quick Big Five Personality Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and relative importance analysis. The results of this study showed that preservice teachers with stronger personality traits of agreeableness, extraversion, emotional stability, and openness to new experiences tend to have higher levels of intercultural sensitivity. Moreover, results of relative importance analyses revealed that agreeableness is the most important predictor of intercultural sensitivity among preservice teachers whereas emotional stability was found to be the least important predictor. The findings of this study can help to determine personality traits related to intercultural sensitivity among preservice teachers.

Turkish Pre-service Teachers’ Understanding of Daily Life Phenomena Related to Chemistry and Compatibility with the Current Chemistry Curriculum

The aim of this study is to determine Turkish pre-service science teachers’ levels of chemical explanations of various daily life phenomena and to investigate whether these examples are in accordance with the high school chemistry curriculum in Turkey. This study was carried out with descriptive research methods. The participants are 71 freshmen pre-service science teachers in a state university in Turkey. The data of the study were collected with the “Chemical Explanations of Daily Phenomena” Questionnaire previously developed in the literature. The phenomena in the questionnaire were related to chemistry concepts such as diffusion, temperature, combustion reactions and the law of conservation of mass, isotopes, reaction rate, redox reactions, and mixtures and solutions. The answers were analyzed in three categories: correct, wrong, and can’t determine and the frequencies and percentages of the categories were determined. Also, the learning outcomes in the latest version of the Turkish high school chemistry curriculum were examined in order to determine whether they were related to the chemistry concepts in the questionnaire. Document analysis was utilized to analyze the learning outcomes in the chemistry curriculum. The findings of the study revealed that most of the pre-service teachers answered correctly the questions that are compatible with the chemistry curriculum. Their misconceptions were mostly related to heat transfer and specific heat capacity, the law of conservation of mass, and heavy water and isotopes. The findings indicated that future curriculum changes should integrate some important chemistry concepts closely related to everyday life, such as radioactivity and heat transfer.

The Role of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in Developing Turkish Pre-Service EFL Teachers’ Technology Adoption

As 21st century has witnessed drastic changes in educational technology, the education of pre-service teachers has gained more significance. Educators are then sought to be digitally literate who are also accepting new technologies to utilize web tools competently. That said, this current quantitative driven-mix method research scrutinizes the role of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in enhancing the pre-service English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ technology adoption in this changing educational landscape. Accordingly, an online questionnaire together with structured interview are used to gather data from 94 pre-service EFL teachers at a public university in Türkiye due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-21 academic year. Quantitative data are analyzed through SPSS 27.0 to detect construct-dependent and -independent frequency levels whereas qualitative data are analyzed in lieu of grounded theory by means of thematic analysis. As a result of the quantitative data analysis, it is revealed that the Turkish pre-service EFL teachers’ levels of technology acceptance are moderately high, albeit there is no significant difference regarding age, gender, and personal computer ownership. On the other hand, qualitative data results provide a deeper insight into participants’ perceptions on related concepts. The results are mainly noted as the growing need for modifications in teacher education programs in order to familiarize more with technology and web tools as well as to improve their future technology-integrated language teaching practices.