The examination of teacher candidates intellectual style preferences (Thinking styles)

Intellectual style is used as a general concept that encompasses the meaning of all style structures put forward in the literature. Mental styles are based on ?Mental Self-Government Theory developed by Sternberg (1997). Distinctive features of this theory are as follows: styles are grouped under five different dimensions rather than single one, defined styles are perceived as continuity instead of moving toward two opposite poles in themselves, none of the styles are good or bad, there is not a single style to be defined for each individual, a profile of style is demonstrated (Zhang, 2001, 548). The aim of this study is to present the differentiation of teacher candidates intellectual styles in an academic year. For this purpose, the following questions were answered: (1) Is there a significant difference in teacher candidates intellectual styles in terms of (a) gender (b) academic discipline and (c) class level (2) Is there a significant difference in teacher candidates intellectual styles in an academic year (3) Is there a significant difference in teacher candidates intellectual styles in an academic year in terms of (a) gender (b) academic discipline and (c) class level (4) Is there a significant difference in intellectual styles of teacher candidates receiving education in different methods Three different research instruments were used in the study. First of them is Personal Information Form?. To measure styles, Thinking Styles Inventory developed by Sternberg and Wagner was used. To determine methods used during teacher candidates undergraduate education, Method Determination Inventory developed by the researcher was used. Thinking Styles Inventory was applied at the beginning and at the end of an academic semester to 794 teachers studying in different departments. When analyses and the results of implementation I and II were examined, statistically significant difference was found in all sub-scales except Local Sub-scale. This result shows that teachers mental style preferences may change in an academic semester. Furthermore, it was also found that teacher candidates intellectual style preferences differentiate in terms of gender, academic discipline, class level and the method used.