Abstract:

Current study aimed to present parental expectations from university students who were accepted into Amasya University Faculty of Education. The study was conducted on 207 students from different majors in their first years of the falls semester of 2012-2013 academic year. Data were collected from students with three open ended questions. Qualitative data obtained in the study were analyzed with descriptive and content analyses. Findings regarding parental expectations include paying attention to selecting friends studying, mistrusting others, being careful about the environment and getting along with friends respectively. Another finding is related to lack of emphasis on expectations regarding participation in social activities and self-development. Participating students express that parental expectations are reflected positively in their lives and contribute to increased consideration while selecting friends, increased desire to study, self-confidence, feeling of safety, sense of responsibility and feelings of happiness due to the attention they receive from parents. However, various negative outcomes were also experienced by some students such as lack of confidence towards people and to environment, bias and attitudes of suspicion, fear of failure at classes, stress, anxiety, restlessness in communicating with others and pessimism. It is believed that current study contributes to literature regarding the identification of social environments where teacher candidates are raised and attitudes and views of parents about university.

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