Abstract:

This study aims to investigate the perception of teacher candidates toward distance education and their virtual risk perception. This study is a quantitative reseach based on survey model. This research is a descriptive study made with relational scanning models. The population consists of teacher candidates and university students who take distance education in Ondokuz Mayıs University and Iğdır University. Distance education in coronavirus pandemic is not same with previous distance education practices since it was compulsory because of the pandemic. According to first finding, it is found that that the distribution is a little bit negatively skewed distribution implying that teacher candidates might not be so satisfied with the distance education. Secondly, it is found that the attitudes of teacher candidates toward distance education in terms of gender is in favour of males. Thirdly, it is found that no significant differences of the virtual risk perception of teacher candidates in terms of gender indicating that virtual risk perception is independent from gender variable. Fourthly, no significant difference is found among the departments in general in terms of attitudes toward distance education. Fifthly, no significant differences of the sub-dimensions of virtual risk perception of teacher candidates is found in terms of department except for virtual corruption. Sixthly, no significant difference is found among the attitudes of teacher candidates toward distance education in terms of whether they previously took distance education or not. Seventhly, no significant difference is found among virtual risk perception of teacher candidates in terms of whether they previously took distance education or not. Finally, it is found that the most important factor related with the the attitudes of teacher candidates toward distance education is virtual corruption sub-dimension.

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