Pre-service physical education teachers' epistemological beliefs, academic self-efficacy and learning approaches

The aim of the study is to examine pre-service physical education teachers' epistemological beliefs, academic self-efficacy and learning approaches based on some variables and to identify relationships between them. A mixed methods approach where both quantitative and qualitative data was integrated was used as the methodology of the study, and out of mixed methods research designs, the explanatory design was employed. The study group consists of a total of 1723 pre-service physical education teachers including 1086 (63%) men and 637 (37%) women studying at 14 different universities in seven different geographical regions, and 14 pre-service physical education teachers from whom interview data was collected. In addition to a personal information form, the Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ), the Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (ASEQ), and the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) for quantitative data, and an interview form for qualitative data were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of survey data from the quantitative phase of the research, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey's multiple comparison test, one-way multivariate analysis of variance (one-way MANOVA), Pearson's correlation test, and regression analysis were used as statistical methods. The data collected through interviews in the qualitative phase was analyzed by content analysis. Results indicated that physical education teachers' epistemological beliefs, academic self-efficacy and learning approaches were at a medium level. There were differences between the variables of gender, grade and parental education level in the EBQ dimension of "the belief that learning depends on effort" as well as between the variables of age, grade, family income and parental education level in the dimension of "the belief that learning depends on ability", and between the variables of age, grade and family income in the dimension of "the belief that there is only one truth". However, a low level of positive correlation was found between the EBQ dimensions and academic success. Interviews conducted about epistemological beliefs indicated that individuals who believed in first grade that knowledge can be acquired easily and has a simple structure held a belief, in later grades, that knowledge has a more complex structure. There were differences between students' views on the source of knowledge, whereas the majority was skeptical about the accuracy of knowledge. Students' views on how learning occurs were grouped under 4 main themes, and the majority had a belief that learning occurs through effort. There were differences between academic self-efficacy and the variables of age, grade and father's education level, whereas a low level of positive correlation was found between academic self-efficacy and academic success. Interviews about academic self-efficacy indicated that first and last grade students had lower academic self-efficacy, and last grade students failed to adequately fulfill their academic responsibilities because of the Public Personnel Selection Examination. Significant differences were found between the dimension of deep approach to learning and only age variable as well as between the dimension of surface approach to learning and the variables of family income and parental education level. However, a low level of positive correlation was found between the deep approach dimension of the SPQ and academic success, and a high level of negative correlation was found between the surface approach and academic success. Interviews about learning approaches indicated that third grade students were more likely to adopt a deep approach to learning than other students, and that fourth grade students failed to spare enough time for university courses and exams due to the Public Personnel Selection Examination. In the relationship between the dependent variables of epistemological beliefs and academic self-efficacy, as pre-service physical education teachers' academic self-efficacy increased, a decrease was observed in their belief that learning depends on effort, and an increase was observed in their belief that truth is changeable and knowledge has a complex structure. When the relationship between epistemological beliefs and learning approaches was examined, it was found that students with high epistemological beliefs adopted a surface approach to learning in the dimensions of "the belief that learning depends on ability" and "the belief that there is only one truth". Considering the relationship between academic self-efficacy and learning approaches, there was an increase in deep approaches to learning of students with high academic self-efficacy. Another finding of the research was that epistemological beliefs had an important role in predicting academic self-efficacy and learning approaches. Keywords: Preservice physical education teacher, epistemological belief, academic self-efficacy, learning approach