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Journals / ODÜ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ARAŞTIRMALARI DERGİSİ-ODÜSOBİAD / 2026 / Cilt: 16 Sayı: ISRIS 2026 Özel Sayı

Pre-service teachers' curiosity and soft skills: A multi-group structural equation modeling approach

Öğretmen adaylarının merak ve soft becerileri: Çok gruplu yapısal eşitlik modellemesi

Türker Sezer(BOLU ABANT İZZET BAYSAL ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-0898-4887
E. Özlem Yiğit(ABANT IZZET BAYSAL UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-3362-3437
Necip Döner(BOLU ABANT İZZET BAYSAL ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-2867-3402
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-10-11
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings revealed a significant difference at two levels.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines the relationships between curiosity and soft skills levels in pre-service teachers (N = 560) studying in six different teacher training programs, using multigroup structural equation modeling via academic achievement (grade point average, GPA).
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Key Findings & Data:Based on Kashdan et al.'s (2018, 2020) Revised Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale (5DC-R) framework, curiosity was modeled in two latent dimensions: POSMERAK (Positive Curiosity) and STRESINT (Stress Intolerance).
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings revealed a significant difference at two levels.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:2018 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Merak · soft beceri · öğretmen eğitimi

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between curiosity and soft skills levels in pre-service teachers (N = 560) studying in six different teacher training programs, using multigroup structural equation modeling via academic achievement (grade point average, GPA). Based on Kashdan et al.'s (2018, 2020) Revised Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale (5DC-R) framework, curiosity was modeled in two latent dimensions: POSMERAK (Positive Curiosity) and STRESINT (Stress Intolerance). Analyses were conducted using Mplus 8.3 software. The main structural equation model and multigroup invariance tests were performed using a robust maximum likelihood (MLR) estimator with standard errors and a Satorra-Bentler corrected chi-square difference test. Confidence intervals for indirect effects were calculated separately using a maximum likelihood (MLR) estimator and a bootstrap method with 5000 resamples. Measurement invariance was tested in three stages: formal invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance. Then, structural invariance was examined by comparing free and constrained models of structural pathways. Invariance was achieved at all stages. The findings revealed a significant difference at two levels. At the first level, structural pathways are equivalent across all six programs, meaning the functioning of the curiosity-soft skills process has a universal pattern. At the second level, latent variable levels are significantly higher in favor of Science and Mathematics teacher candidates. The results suggest that curiosity-based developmental interventions in teacher education can be designed within the same framework across all disciplines, but differences in initial positions can be complemented with discipline-specific support.

Özet

Bu çalışma, altı farklı öğretmenlik programında öğrenim gören öğretmen adaylarının (N = 560) merak ve soft beceri (soft skills) düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkileri, akademik başarı (genel akademik not ortalaması, GANO) aracılığıyla, çok gruplu yapısal eşitlik modellemesi ile incelemektedir. Kashdan ve arkadaşlarının (2018, 2020) Beş Boyutlu Merak Ölçeği Revize Edilmiş (5DC-R) çerçevesine dayanılarak merak iki gizil (latent) boyutta modellenmiştir. Bu iki boyut POSMERAK (Pozitif Merak) ve STRESINT (Stres İntoleransı) olarak tanımlanmıştır. Analizler Mplus 8.3 programında yürütülmüştür. Ana yapısal eşitlik modeli ve çok gruplu değişmezlik testleri, robust standart hatalara sahip maksimum olabilirlik (MLR) tahminleyicisi ve Satorra-Bentler düzeltilmiş ki-kare (chi-square) fark testi ile test edilmiştir. Dolaylı etkilerin güven aralıkları ise ayrı bir analizde maksimum olabilirlik (ML) tahminleyicisi ve 5000 yeniden örneklemeli bootstrap yöntemiyle hesaplanmıştır. Ölçme değişmezliği üç aşamada test edilmiştir. Bu aşamalar biçimsel değişmezlik, metrik değişmezlik ve skaler değişmezlik (scalar invariance) biçiminde sıralanmaktadır. Ardından yapısal değişmezlik, yapısal yolların serbest ve kısıtlı modelleri karşılaştırılarak incelenmiştir. Tüm aşamalarda değişmezlik sağlanmıştır. Bulgular iki düzeyde önemli bir ayrım ortaya koymuştur. Birinci düzeyde yapısal yollar altı programda da eşdeğerdir, yani merak-soft beceri sürecinin işleyişi evrensel bir örüntüye sahiptir. İkinci düzeyde ise gizil değişken düzeyleri Fen Bilgisi ve Matematik öğretmen adayları lehine belirgin biçimde yüksektir. Sonuçlar, öğretmen eğitiminde merak temelli gelişim müdahalelerinin tüm branşlarda aynı çerçevede tasarlanabileceğini, ancak başlangıç konumlarındaki farklılıkların branşa özgü desteklerle tamamlanabileceğini göstermektedir.

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Cite This Article

Sezer, T., Yiğit, E. Ö., Döner, N. (2026). Pre-service teachers' curiosity and soft skills: A multi-group structural equation modeling approach. ODÜ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ARAŞTIRMALARI DERGİSİ-ODÜSOBİAD, Cilt: 16 Sayı: ISRIS 2026 Özel Sayı. https://doi.org/10.48146/odusobiad.1950553

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