Abstract:

The fundamental aim of this study is to determine whether or not prospective Classroom, Science, and pre-school teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding mathematics instruction differs in terms of gender, field of graduation from high-school, and branches of main sciences. The study was carried out at Giresun University, Faculty of Education in the academic year of 2007 and 2008 with the participation of 232 prospective teachers who were students in Classroom, Science and Turkish teacher training departments. In the study, quantitative and qualitative methods of research were used and the data were collected by means a scale devised by the researcher. Statistical techniques were used in the analyses of the quantitative data, whereas content analysis was used in the analyses of the qualitative data. The results obtained showed that prospective teachers had a high tendency of self-efficacy beliefs and the solution-finding attitude regarding mathematics instruction in terms of subdimensions. It was also found that there were no significant differences between prospective teachers with respect to self-efficacy beliefs when their genders, field of graduation from high school, and their branches of main sciences were considered. The results also indicated that prospective teachers assumed a positive view in the content analyses of the answers given for the open-ended questions regarding mathematics instruction and the teacher who teaches the subject.

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