Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice classroom teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions towards physical education course according to some demographic variables, and to determine the relationship between attitude and self-efficacy perception. The study was conducted on 528 preservice classroom teachers (354 female and 174 male) who taught at different grade levels. In the study, The Physical Education Attitude Scale (Öncü, 2013) and the Physical Education Self-Efficacy Scale (İpek & Bayraktar, 2009) were administered on the participants as data collection tools. Descriptive statistical methods, t test, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis and regression analysis were used in the data analysis. The results of analyses indicated that both attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions of the participants towards physical education course were above the middle level. There were significant differences in the scores of the participants’ attitudes towards physical education course in respect to independent variables which were gender, grade levels they taught at, and regular exercise habits. There was also statistically significant difference between the participants’ self-efficacy perceptions towards physical education course and their regular exercise habits. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that the preservice classroom teachers’ attitude toward physical education course has an important effect on determining their self-efficacy perceptions.

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