A research on the anxiety, attitude and self-sufficiency of visual arts teacher candidates for the teaching profession

This study aims to examine the relationship between self-efficacy perceptions of candidate visual arts teachers and professional anxiety situations and to examine its effects on teacher candidates regarding their attitudes towards the teaching profession and to determine this relationship in groups with different demographic characteristics. Prepared in accordance with the relational screening model, this study uses the following data collection tools: literature review, personal information form, a "Scale for Self-Efficacy Sources" to determine the self-efficacy levels of candidate visual arts teachers, a "Scale for Attitude towards Teaching Profession" to evaluate their attitude towards the profession, and "Professional Anxiety Scale for Teacher Candidates" to assess professional anxiety levels. The study population consists of the 1st and 4th grade undergraduate students who are enrolled in the Art Teaching Program at the Department of Fine Arts Education, Faculty of Education, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University (Spring semester, 2018-2019), which is located in Bolu, Turkey. The sample of the study included a total of 80 students. The study was conducted by determining the relationship between professional anxiety and attitudes by examining the perceptions of self-efficacy of teacher candidates in terms of various variables. Independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruscal-Wallis h-test were performed for cross-group comparisons with SPSS (version 25.00) package program during determination of differences between variables as well as reliability coefficient measurement for the data obtained. Performed according to the findings of the research conducted with 80 individuals, the analyses revealed a low-positive correlation between self-efficacy and professional anxiety, a low-negative correlation between self-efficacy and attitude; and finally, there was a low-positive relationship between attitude and professional anxiety with respect to the variables of professional anxiety, self-efficacy and attitude. KEYWORDS:Visual Arts, Teacher Candidate, Self-efficacy, Occupational Anxiety, Attitude