Investigation of the Levels of Teaching and Learning Conceptions and Metaphorical Perceptions of Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

This study aims to investigate teaching and learning conceptions of pre-service teachers considering primarily their experiences, self-efficacy, perspectives on the world and education, and their individual differences, and to identify metaphors produced by pre-service teachers according to their perspectives on the constructivist learning approach, and thus to determine their general perceptions on this matter. In the study, a mixed-method, which involves using qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to present, analyze and integrate the findings and the separate results in the overall interpretation, was employed. The study was conducted with 284 pre-service Classroom, English, Turkish, Mathematics, Science, and Music teachers studying at universities in different regions of Turkey in the 2019 - 2020 academic year. Within the scope of the research, the Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire developed by Chan and Elliot (2004) was used to determine the learning-teaching conceptions of pre-service teachers. As a result of the study, the metaphors produced by the pre-service teachers were divided into the conceptual categories as Facilitating Life, Professional and Human Roles, What Nature Offers, Useful Items, and What Are Found in the Organism.