A Study on Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy, Motivation and Affection Levels for Children

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to reveal the levels of affection for children, teaching motivations and self-efficacy beliefs of the teacher candidates studying in special education, pre-school and primary school teaching departments based on their gender, classroom and academic branches to showcase the correlations between the levels of the teachers’ affection for children, their self-efficacy beliefs and teaching motivations. The study group was determined with the criterion sampling method. 368 teacher candidates participated in this study: 108 from special education department, 136 from pre-school department and 136 from primary school teacher department. The data were collected by means of ‘Barnett Liking Children, Teaching Motivations and Perception of Teacher Self-efficacy Scales’. The data were analyzed using independent group t-tests, one –way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis. The results show that the teacher candidates from the three departments have a high level of affection for children. Their motivations to teach and self-efficacy beliefs are higher than the average value. It is revealed that there is an average positive correlation between liking children and teacher self-efficacy in using teaching strategies. However, the data results disclosed that the teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs, students’ participation, teaching motivations, and teaching strategies predict their affection for children significantly and positively. Teacher candidates should be enabled to establish direct experiences with the group they shall work with in order to develop the self-efficiency beliefs of them.