An evaluation of the contents of teaching profession knowledge courses conducted in faculties of education according to opinions of teachers, instructors and students

The main aim of this research is to evaluate Teaching Profession Knowledge Courses Taught in Faculties of Education According to Opinions of Teachers, Instructors and Students. In the context of this main aim the responses to following sub-aims are sought:1-What are the opinions of teachers, instructors and students on teaching profession knowledge courses taught in faculties of education?2-Are there meaningful differences between the opinions of teachers, instructors and students on teaching profession knowledge courses taught in faculties of education according to the variables of a) gender, b) branch of study, c) seniority, and d) academic title?The research has a descriptive character and it is in screening model. The students studying in Siirt and Dicle Universities and the academicians working in these universities and teachers working in Siirt and Diyarbakır form the population of the study. 375 students, 351 teachers, and 48 academicians out of this population form the sample of the study.The data are derived from the scale with quinary likert type items which is developed by the researcher. Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, the "t" test, analysis of variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann Whitney U tests are used in the analyses of the data. Findings out of the analyses of the data can be summarized as follows:Teachers, instructors and students participating in the research think that contents of teaching profession knowledge courses taught in faculties of education are products of western culture (USA and EU) and under the hegemony of them and find this situation disturbing. According to the participants, the causes of this hegemony are: westernization efforts of the country, productivity problems in the areas of science, culture and arts, and the issues of globalization and the EU. Participants think that contents of teaching profession knowledge courses taught in faculties of education being products of western culture are risky from the aspects of moral development of the students and teaching of values. The desired model of the participants in education is a balanced model based on national and universal knowledge and the ideas of native and foreign philosophers.Participants in general think that complete liberty requires being free also in education and argue that a free, original, and national educational system is necessary. Participants find consulting to our history and adapting the successful applications in our history to today?s education rational. In accomplishing this they, primarily the teachers, have expectations from the Ministry of Education and the universities.Key Words: Pedagogical Independence, Teaching profession courses, , Teacher education, Pre-service teachers.