Value Priorites of Teacher Candidates: Using A Scaling Technique for Value Ranking

Abstract

Values which may be defined differently in various disciplines are the main determinants of decision making process for people. In this framework teachers, as one of the most fundamental actor of formal education institution, and their values will be the determinant of the quality for teaching-learning process and products.The purpose of this research is to determine the value priorities of teacher candidates in Turkey. Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) was used as a data collection tool. The rank order judgements scaling technique was used in order to analyze the research data. In this technique, it is determined that how a person prioritizes values rather than whether a value is possessed by the person. The RVS consists of two alphabetically ordered lists of 18 values as terminal and instrumental values.When the terminal values in RVS are analyzed using the scaling technique based on ranking judgments, the most commonly (predominantly) preferred value by teacher candidates is “family security”, while the least commonly preferred terminal value is “pleasure”. Among the instrumental values in the RVS, the most commonly (predominantly) preferred value is the “honesty”, while the least commonly preferred one is the “obedience”.