Abstract:

Many studies have focused on finding the level of effect that academic locus of control, tendencies towards academic dishonesty, and test anxiety levels have had on academic self-efficacy, and providing a separate explanation ratio for each. The relationship among the effects of the academic locus of control, tendencies towards academic dishonesty, test anxiety levels and academic self-efficacy with each other and explanation ratios of these relationships to each other were tested in this research. The participating group of the research consisted of 256 teacher candidates in their 2nd year of education at the Faculty of Education at a University in Turkey in the spring semester of the 2010-2011 academic year. The research was conducted using the relational survey model. The Academic Self-efficacy Scale, Academic Locus of Control Scale, The Scale of Academic Dishonesty Tendencies, and The Scale of Test Anxiety Levels were used as data collection instruments. Data was analyzed via SPSS 16.0 and AMOS 17.0 software programs. Consequently, it emerged that tendencies towards academic dishonesty, test anxiety, and academic locus of control together significantly and positively affect and account for academic self-efficacy. In other words, it was found that tendencies towards academic dishonesty, test anxiety levels, and academic locus of control are crucial predictors of the academic self-efficacy of teacher candidates.

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