Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of their Competency for the Teaching Profession

Abstract

The main purpose of this research was to discover pre-service teachers' perceptions of their competence and their readiness for the teaching profession. The research employed a survey method, and the sample consisted of 993 pre-service teachers. The data were collected through the Pre-Service Teachers' Competency Scale (PTCS) adapted by the researcher based on Foster's research called "INTASC Standards for Beginning Teachers (2001)". The responses were indicated on a 5-point Likert scale and the Cronbach Alpha coefficient was .96 and the weighted arithmetic means and the standard deviation were also calculated. The one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) was implemented to determine if there is a significant difference in terms of gender and department. The one-way multivariate variance analysis (MANOVA) was also applied to assess differences between the independent groups. Results revealed that the pre-service teachers perceived themselves competent and ready for their career. When the participants' perceptions are considered, there was a significant difference in departments, while there was not significant difference in terms of gender. It is suggested that the authorities of the Higher Education Council (YÖK) and the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) work collaboratively to make the teacher training system better to catch up with the latest developments. Suggested APA Citation /Önerilen APA Atıf Biçimi: Balyer, A. (2017). Pe-service teachers' perceptions of their competency for the teaching profession.