African Educational Research Journal - Self-efficacy Beliefs of Students of Primary School Teaching Department Regarding Mathematics and Teaching Mathematics

Oct 15, 2026

Prospective teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs shape their professional behaviors, influencing students’ attitudes and self-efficacy. This relational scanning study investigates primary teacher education students’ attitudes toward mathematics, their self-efficacy beliefs in teaching mathematics, and the relationship between the two. Data from 290 students at 9 Eylül University (Buca Faculty of Education) are analyzed using SPSS 22 with t-tests and Pearson correlations. Results show no gender differences, higher scores for primary education prospective teachers, and a significant pre-school vs. primary-school difference alongside a link between attitude and self-efficacy beliefs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Teacher education and professional attitudes

Mathematics as a foundation for science and technology

Attitude and self-efficacy concepts

Relationship between self-efficacy, teaching behaviors, and achievement

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 8(4), pp. 747-753, October 2020 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.84.20.165 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Self-efficacy beliefs of students of primary school teaching department regarding mathematics and teaching mathematics Murat A. Ellez Faculty of Education, Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey. Accepted 6 October, 2020 | ABSTRACT
Prospective teachers’ attitudes and beliefs regarding self-efficacy beliefs become the basis of their attitudes in their professional lives, as they affect their students’ attitudes and self-efficacy. The aim of this study is to determine the primary teacher training students’ attitudes towards mathematics and self-efficacy beliefs regarding teaching math and the relationship among them. The “Relational Scanning Model” is used in the study. Data is collected from 290 students who were studying in the Primary Education Department of 9 Eylül University, Buca Faculty of Education. Mathematics Attitude Scale and Self-efficacy Belief Scale towards Teaching Mathematics are used to gather data. SPSS 22 was used for data analyses. T-test used for identifying significance of differences, and the Pearson correlation coefficient by means of different aspects. Results showed no differences by gender in attitudes towards math and self-efficacy beliefs regarding teaching math of the students who completed the survey. However, although Primary Education prospective teachers scores were higher in their attitude points and self–efficacy towards math teaching, a significant difference between pre-school and primary school prospective teachers. Besides, results revealed a relationship between attitude and self-efficacy beliefs regarding math. To further research, it is
recommended that the same surveys should be done with different groups and the larger sample sizes. Keywords: Attitude towards math, self-efficacy beliefs, prospective teachers. | | --- | | [E-mail: murat.ellez@deu.edu.tr](E-mail: murat.ellez@deu.edu.tr). | INTRODUCTION When examining the discussions related to education these days, it is clear that one of the most discussed problems is the education of teachers and the teachers’attributes. Besides, the most important topics at the level the teachers’ attitude and their self-efficacy beliefs regard teaching. The education of primary school teachers is done in education faculties in Turkey. A 4-years education program, which includes pre-school education and primary education is applied to prospective teachers (Başkan et al. , 2006) . This program includes the professional instruction lessons, which include the required knowledge and skills for effectively and efficiently being able to understand, change, and learn by critically analyzing the teacher’s teaching environment, the institution, and the lessons that the teacher will teach (Coşkun and Sezen-Yüksel, 2018) . There are common lessons in sciences on specific lessons regarding different subjects, including math (YÖK, 2018) . Mathematics is the stepping-stone to science and technology. Altun (2002) describes mathematics as a mental activity, which is developed through the pursuit of understanding the truth. This mental activity, which involves abstraction, analysis, and application, is a spiral cycle. Each activity once completed brings forth a new outlook, and this outlook also has a new mode of analysis (Sevgen, 2002) . Consequently, mathematics has been applied in every area of life. Thus, mathematics is widely applied as it affects the ways education is delivered in mathematics education area (Çoban, 2002) . It is important that math educators are those who are able to improve self-efficacy, foster a positive attitude towards math, adapt to knowledge and technology of the age, work with others in cooperation, improve new strategies to solve problems can describe the problems in their own lives (MEB, 2018) . An attitude is "a relatively enduring organization of beliefs, f

FAQs

What is the purpose of the study?

To determine primary teacher training students’ attitudes toward mathematics, their self-efficacy beliefs regarding teaching mathematics, and the relationship between these two factors.

What research design and data sources are used?

The study uses the Relational Scanning Model and collects data from 290 students. It uses the Mathematics Attitude Scale and the Self-efficacy Belief Scale toward Teaching Mathematics.

What do the findings indicate about gender differences and group differences?

There are no differences by gender in attitudes toward math or self-efficacy beliefs about teaching math. A significant difference is found between pre-school and primary school prospective teachers.

Oct 15, 2026

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