Teacher Self-Efficacy Perceptions and Metacognitive Learning Strategies of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

This research aims to investigate whether there is a meaningful relationship between “Teacher Self-efficacy Perceptions” and “Metacognitive Learning Strategies” of pre-service Mathematics teachers and whether “Teacher Self-efficacy Perceptions” and “Metacognitive Learning Strategies” of pre-service Mathematics teachers differentiate depending on gender and grade levels. The study was carried out on a total of 191 students, 111 of which were females and 80 of which were male, studying at the Department of Mathematics Teaching at Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education in Ataturk University. The findings were obtained by means of “Teacher Self Efficacy Perceptions Scale” developed by Tschannen-Moran and Woolfolk (2001) and adopted into Turkish by Çapa, Çakıroğlu and Sarıkaya (2005) and “Metacognitive Learning Strategies Scale” developed by Namlu (2004). According to the research findings, pre-service mathematics teachers’ levels of teacher self-efficacy and their knowledge on the structure and processing of their own cognitive system are at “good” levels. It is understood that while pre-service mathematics teachers’ perceptions of teacher self-efficacy do not vary by gender, they vary according to the levels of grade and the significant variance is between the 4th grade and others, in favour the 4th grade students. When the sub-dimensions of the metacognitive learning strategies scale was analyzed, a significant variance was found in “organization strategies” and “managing strategies” sub-dimensions by gender in favour of female participants. And also pre-service mathematics teachers’ scores of metacognitive learning strategies by grade was found to be significant. In the study, a significant wasn’t found between pre-service mathematics teachers’ perceptions of teacher self-efficacy and their metacognitive learning strategies.