Investigation of Self-Regulation and Problem Solving Skills of Prospective Elementary Teachers

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the self-regulation and problem solving skills of the teacher candidates in faculty of education in the department of primary education in terms of variety variances. This research is a descriptive study of general and relational survey. The universe of the study is 3359 prospective teachers who study at a university in the department of elementary education of a state university in 2012-2013 academic year. The sample group of the study is 626 first and fourth year prospective teachers majoring elementary education at the faculty of education by means of purposeful sampling method. In this study, “Self-regulated Learning Skills Scale” developed and whose validity and reliability controlled by Turan (2009) and “Inventory of problem solving” developed by Heppner and Petersen in 1989, whose the Turkish version, validity and reliability studies made by Taylan (1990) were used as the data collection tool. According to the research findings, it was concluded that self-regulation skills of the teacher candidates in the department of elementary education is at good level and their problem solving skills is at a moderate level. Further, given the self-regulation skills of the prospective teachers majoring elementary education at the faculty of education, statistically significant differences in favor of the female students in terms of the gender variable, in favor of the fourth year students in terms of class variable, in favor of the vocational high schools in terms of the variable of the high school graduated, again in favor of the female pre-service teachers in terms of the variable of problem solving skills according to gender were found. There also appeared a positive and moderate correlation between self-regulation and problem solving sk