Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions of Standards in an Education Program at a University in Turkey

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: This study focuses on the quality of teacher
educators and teacher-training programs. In Turkey, both education
instructors and teacher candidates have complained about teachertraining
programs, courses, lack of a good education, and lack of readiness
for the teaching profession. Therefore, the current researcher has
examined the quality of courses and the efficiency of instructors in the
education program at a university in Turkey.
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was to determine teacher
candidates’ perceptions on the education program at their university in
Turkey.
Method: A total of 441 teacher candidates majoring in various disciplines
during the 2011–2012 academic year participated. Data were collected via
a structured questionnaire consisting of 20 questions in two sections. The
first section covered instructors’ qualifications (ten questions), and the
second dealt with the education programs in various departments and the
courses offered (ten questions). Between March and May 2012 the data
were collected at the university. Data were analyzed using Statistical
Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Findings: According to the results of the study with regard to instructor
effectiveness, almost all teacher candidates indicated that instructors were
unqualified to provide progressive, practical training. The teacher
candidates’ responses revealed that they expected more practical courses
instead of predominantly theoretically based courses. Additionally, the
results of the study showed that there were significant differences among 

teacher candidates’ perceptions according to their gender, class, and the departments in which they studied.
Conclusions and Recommendations: In conclusion, teacher candidates are the customers of education programs and the ones who will teach future generations. In this study they were asked whether they thought that the instructors and the education they received were effective. Overall, they were unhappy with their educational programs and critical of the quality of instructors. Therefore, university administrators should work to improve the quality of instructors and education programs at their schools. Teacher candidates require as much practice as theoretical knowledge, which has been the case throughout the history of Turkish education.
Keywords: Teacher training, quality of curriculum, instructors