Özet:

Pre-service teachers participate in education and training at universities of their choice in the context of a predetermined curriculum related to their field. The quality of this education and training directly affects the qualifications of pre-service teachers, who have a long professional career ahead of them after graduation. The aim of this study is to determine pre-service geography teachers' perceptions of university education and their professional expectations of their field of study. The study was conducted with the participation of 136 pre-service geography teachers in the 2014-2015 academic year. 49 participants were recruited from Chanakkale Onsekiz March University and 87 from Marmara University. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher and were evaluated using frequency and percentage distribution. Most participants think primarily about holding a teaching position in state schools or having an academic career, while the rest intend to work as a public servant, a police officer, a geographic information systems (GIS) expertise and in different positions in the private sector. Participants in general are of the opinion that the university education they receive is inadequate and that the education and training conditions should be improved. Results also show that participants have high expectations of their field of study in terms of employment opportunities and that they are open to innovation and development.

Anahtar Kelimeler: