Investigation of Teacher Candidates' Problem Solving Skills According to Their Personality Types Within Tte Scope of Teacher Training Programs in Turkey

Abstract

Problem solving skills and personality types of teacher candidates and teacher training curricula are focused on in this study. The main aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between the problem solving skills and personality types of teacher candidates. Research is designed as mixed type. The study is done in 2012-2013 academic year spring semester with the participation of 498 teacher candidates studying at education faculties of Mugla Sitki Kocman University (MSKU) and Cukurova University (CU). In order to collect data required for defining the problem solving skills of teacher candidates, "Problem Solving Inventory" designed by Heppner and Peterson (1982) adapted to Turkish by Savasir and gahin (1997) and in order to collect data required for defining the personality types of teacher candidates, "Adjective Based Personality Scale" designed by Bacanli, Ilhan and Aslan (2009) are used. Data collected with two different inventories are analyzed by SPSS program and the relationship between the problem solving skills and personality types of teacher candidates is examined. For the other aim of the study, teacher candidates are interviewed and questions related with whether activities are done to develop their problem solving skills or not are asked. Data obtained by interviews are analyzed as descriptive and indicated as an addition to the findings of study. According to data collected from sample, it is found that the teacher candidates who don't think themselves neurotic; don't think themselves extrovert; think themselves open-experienced and think themselves responsible have higher problem solving skills. Several discussions, comments and suggestions towards all findings of the research are stated throughout the study.