Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the perception of self-efficacy and attitudes towards teaching profession of the teacher candidates who participated in the certificate program of pedagogical formation training with regards to such variables as gender, age and graduated undergraduate programs. A descriptive survey model was utilized. The study group consisted of 141 teacher candidates who participated in the certificate program of pedagogical formation in spring term of 2010-2011 academic year at Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. For data collection, self-efficacy scale and an attitude scale were utilized. In data analysis, descriptive statistics, internal consistency reliability coefficients analysis and independent samples t-test were applied. It was determined that both perception of self-efficacy and attitude levels of teacher candidates did not change according to gender and age. In terms of department variable, it was determined that difference between the self-efficacy levels of the teacher candidates who graduated from mathematical and verbal departments was, in favour of graduates of verbal department, statistically significant whereas difference between the attitude levels of teacher candidates was, in favour of graduates of mathematical department, statistically significant. The relationship between perceptions of self-efficacy, attitude levels and gender, age, department variables was also investigated.