OKUL ÖNCESİ ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ AKDEMİK MOTİVASYONLARI İLE MATEMATİK ÖĞRETİMİNE İLİŞKİN ÖZYETERLİK İNANÇLARI ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİNİN İNCELENMESİ

INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRESCHOOL STUDENT TEACHERS’ ACADEMIC MOTIVATION AND THEIR SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS TOWARDS MATH EDUCATION

Özet

Bu çalışmada, okul öncesi öğretmen adaylarının akademik motivasyonları ile matematik öğretimine ilişkin özyeterlik inançları arasındaki ilişki liseden mezun oldukları okul türü ve öğretmenlik alanını isteyerek seçme durumu değişkenleri açısından incelenmiştir. Araştırmada, ilişkisel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, 2015-2016 eğitim öğretim yılında Ankara'da bulunan devlet üniversitelerinden birinde okul öncesi öğretmenliği programına devam eden 116 dördüncü sınıf öğretmen adayı oluşturmuştur. Veri toplama aracı olarak Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Vallerand ve diğerleri (1992) tarafından geliştirilen Karagüven (2012) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlaması gerçekleştirilen Akademik Motivasyon Ölçeği ve Aksu (2008) tarafından geliştirilen Öğretmen Adaylarının Matematik Öğretiminde Özyeterlik İnançları Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda okul öncesi öğretmen adaylarının mesleklerine ilişkin yeni şeyler öğrenme ve bireysel fayda sağlamaya ilişkin içsel ve dışsal motivasyonlarının ve matematik öğretimine yönelik özyeterlik inançlarının yüksek; motivasyonsuzluklarının ise düşük olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca meslek liselerinden mezun olan öğretmen adaylarının daha yüksek içsel motivasyona sahip oldukları belirlenmiştir. Okul öncesi eğitimi alanını isteyerek seçen öğretmen adaylarının isteyerek seçmeyenlere göre motivasyonsuzluk düzeyinin düşük, dışsal motivasyon tanınma düzeylerinin ise daha yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu sonuçlara ek olarak; öğretmen adaylarının akademik motivasyonları yükseldikçe matematik öğretimine karşı özyeterlik inançlarının da arttığı görülmüştür. Buna karşın öğretmen adaylarının matematik öğretimine yönelik özyeterlik inançlarının mezun oldukları lise farklılaşmadığı belirlenmiştir. türü ve öğretmenlik alanını isteyerek seçme durumuna göre

Abstract

In this study, relationship between preservice preschool teachers’ academic motivation and self-efficacy belief regarding mathematics instruction was analyzed according to their high school graduation and situation of willingness to select the area of expertise. In the study relational screening model was used. The participants of the research were 116 senior preservice preschool teachers attending a Public University in Ankara in the 2015 -2016 academic year. The data collection tools were, Demographic Information Form, Academic Motivation Scale which was created by Vallerand et all. (1992) and adapted into Turkish by Karagüven (2012) and Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Mathematics Teaching Scale which was created by Aksu (2008). As a result of the research, preservice preschool teachers’ internal and external motivation about learning new things about the professions and providing individual benefits and self-efficacy beliefs about teaching mathematics are high, while they have lower amotivation level. In addition, preservice preschool teachers’ who graduated from vocational high schools have higher internal academic motivaton level. Preservice teachers who voluntarily selected this profession, have lower levels of amotivation and higher levels of recognition of external motivation than those who did not. Moreover, as the academic motivation of the preservice teachers increase, the self-efficacy beliefs increase towards the teaching of mathematics. On the other hand, the preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about teaching mathematics is not differ according to their graduated high school type and their willingness to this field Academic motivation is defined as the ability that helps students to reveal their educational potential, and as the power that drives them for learning (Martin, 2004). Therefore, it may be said that the individual must be motivated towards learning in order to increase his/her academic success. One of the theories about better understanding of academic motivation is the Self-Determination Theory, which is used for understanding students' behaviours and increasing their motivation, and which suggests that behaviour may be motivated internally or externally. Not only have individuals who are motivated intrinsically an intrinsic control focus and the tendency to succeed, but also they are excited about learning new things. Individuals who are motivated externally prefer to be trained to realize the possible targets rather than having an intrinsic learning pleasure (Deci and Ryan 1985; Vallerand et al., 1992). It is very important that student teachers have a high academic motivation (Küçükosmanoğlu, 2015). It is emphasized in studies on teacher education programs that attitudes of teachers and their personal and pedagogical beliefs should be determined before, during and after teacher education. These studies show that the majority of the studies focus on the different belief systems and perceptions of preservice teachers (Bedel, 2016, Couch and Kuchey, 1998, Raths, 2001, RimmKaufman and Sawyer, 2004). Therefore, that student teachers have the correct motivation, competence beliefs, attitudes and understanding is considered to have a significant influence on improving the quality of education. It is expected that teachers trained from bachelor programs of preschool teaching should have personal and professional competencies as well as special field competencies such as attitude, belief, self-efficacy, perception and motivation (Yıldırım, 2008). One of the qualities that a teacher should have in order for math education to be effective is the belief in his or her ability to teach mathematics (Briley, 2012). The teachers and student teachers’ attitudes towards mathematics and their self-efficacy are the basic elements determining the quality of math education (Baykul, 1990; Berberoğlu, 1990; Briley, 2012). Aim of the Study In this study, the relationship between preschool student teachers’ academic motivation and their self-efficacy beliefs towards math education was examined in terms of variables such as the type of school they graduated from and the state of voluntary selection of the teaching field. Method In the study, relational screening model was used. The sample consisted of 116 fourth grade student teachers who were attending the preschool teacher education program in one of the state universities in Ankara in the academic year 2015-2016. Personal Information Form, Academic Motivation Scale developed by Vallerand et al. (1992) and adapted to Turkish by Karagüven (2012), and the Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale of Student Teachers in Math Education developed by Aksu (2008) were used as data collection tools. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for examining the relationship between the student teachers’ academic motivation and their self-efficacy beliefs. T- test, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskall Wallis tests were applied to analyse whether motivation and beliefs of the student teachers show a significant difference according to their demographic characteristics. Findings and Discussion This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between preschool student teachers’ academic motivation and their self-efficacy beliefs towards math education in terms of various variables. As a result of this research, from the sources of academic motivation, it was seen that student teachers mostly had sub-dimensions such as recognition externally and knowing internally. In addition, it was also found that the non-motivation levels of student teachers were very low. That preschool student teachers had high internal and external motivation for learning new things and achieving individual benefit about their professions, and that they had a low non-motivation level might be regarded as a positive result. The expectation of graduating as a successful person increases students’ academic motivation. Optimistic expectations for the future have a positive effect o