DETERMINING THE EFFECTS OF SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES ON THE REASONS OF PREFERENCE FOR THE FACULTIES OF EDUCATION: A SCALE DEVELOPMENT STUDY
Sevilay YILDIZ1, Kaya YILDIZ2
1-2İzzet Abant Baysal University, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Sciences, Bolu / Turkey
Abstract: Introduction: The importance of education faculties, in which teachers undertaking critical tasks in raising individuals who will guide the future of a country are trained (political, economic, social, cultural, etc.), is increasing day by day. One of the criteria of the development of countries is qualified labor force. Individuals head towards different professions due to many reasons like knowledge, skills, interest, desires and environmental factors after the education they have received for a long time. Such reasons as indecision of individual for the preference of occupation, wrong guidance and environmental pressures etc. may cause selection of wrong professions. Individuals working in the undesired job are not able to provide job satisfaction or be professionally productive. In terms of the teaching profession, many negative conditions and problems will occur in raising future generations after doing an undesired profession in which they can’t be effective and efficient. In this regard, determining the reasons of the preference for the faculties of education where teachers are raised and the effective factors on these reasons will be a road map for more detailed studies regarding the vocational preference. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to analyze the effects of socio-demographic differences on the reasons of preference for the faculties of education. Scope: The research population is composed of the students studying in the faculties of education of public and private universities in Turkey and 8 regions. The sample is composed of a total of randomly selected 5473 participants among these students. The research has lasted 8 months. Limitations: As the research has required high-cost and time, it is limited to the students studying in the faculties of education of public and private universities in the regions of Central Anatolia, Black Sea, Aegean, Mediterranean, Eastern Anatolia, Marmara, Southeastern Anatolia and Thrace. Method: 5-point Likert scale composed of 36 items and a questionnaire directed to determining the different variables that may affect the demographic features of the participants and their reasons of preference have been used in the research. All participants have been randomly selected. Simple Random Sampling Method has been applied in the research. A total of (N=5473) individuals have participated in the research. Data obtained from the research have been analyzed with SPSS 18 statistics program and their reliability and validity has been ensured. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient has been found to be 0.913. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Factor Analysis, Correlation analysis, Regression analysis, t-test analysis, Variance analysis (ANOVA), Kruskall Wallis and Man Whitney test techniques have been used in the analysis of data obtained from the research and the research has been extended. Institutional approval No: 810116/18/044/160 and Dated: 17.02.2015 has been taken fort his research from Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Education. . Findings: It has been determined that the majority of the participants are female and aged between 18-19, most of them come to these schools from Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia regions, their income level is at 501-650 TL, they study in public universities and the educational status of their parents (mother-father) is at the level of primary school-high school. Another finding is that the majority of the participants have said that they are under the effect of the people around in preferring this school and they don’t suggest this profession to other students. After data obtained, significant relation has been established between the variables of age, education, income level, the original region, reasons of preference and type of school regarding the sub-dimensions of the scale for the reasons of participants’ preference for the faculties of education. Conclusion: It has been concluded after the research that some variables of the participants (age, education, income level, type of school etc.) are effective on the reasons of preference at different dimensions. It has also been observed that the time spent by the participant on the internet has a positive effect on self-development and there is a positive relation between the school preferred and the effect of people around on the school preference. It has been concluded that half of the participants are anxious about their future, they don’t see themselves as an educator and teacher model, they consider that KPSS exam to be performed after graduation is necessary and they don’t suggest this school to other students.
Key Words: Education, Student, Faculty, Culture, Preference
Author’s Note: This study has been reproduced from the Master’s Thesis or Doctoral Thesis of Ayşe YILMAZ titled “…………………….” conducted/published in Yıldız Teknik University, Faculty of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering “Institute of Science and Technology” with the counselling of Prof. Dr. Ayşegül AKDOĞAN EKER .