The Relationship between Prospective Teachers' Thinking Styles and Attitudes towards Teaching Profession

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the prospective teachers' thinking styles, attitudes towards teaching profession and the relationship between thinking styles and attitudes towards teaching profession. Relational survey model was used in the study. The universe of the study consists of the prospective teachers studying in the Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Theology and Pedagogical Formation Program of a state university in the fall semester of 2017-2018 academic years. The sample of the study consisted of 1215 prospective teachers who were selected through convenience sampling method. According to the results of the study, prospective teachers preferred the most legislative, monarchic, executive, judicial, liberal thinking styles e.g. the hierarchic, conservative, oligarchic and anarchic thinking styles. Prospective teachers' attitudes towards teaching profession are positive. A significant positive relationship was found between liberal, external, monarchic, executive, hierarchic, legislative, judicial and conservative thinking styles and attitudes towards teaching profession. On the other hand, a significant negative correlation was found between the oligarchic thinking style and the attitude towards teaching profession. The relationship is moderate in liberal and external thinking styles and low in other thinking styles.