Research of teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions towards distance education application

This research aimed to examine primary school teachers attitudes and self-efficacy perceptions towards distance education application. In this research, the relational scanning model which is one of the scanning model types was used. The study group of the research was selected through purposeful sampling among a total of 408 classroom teachers, 182 of whom were female and 226 of whom were male, working in primary schools in Şanlıurfa Province Siverek district and Eyyübiye district, one of its central districts, in the 2021-2022 academic year. In the research, data were collected with data collection tools such as Personal Information Form, Distance Education Attitude Scale and Distance Education Applications Self-Efficacy Scale. The collected data were analyzed with the help of SPSS 25.0 program. In the analysis of the data, arithmetic mean (x), standard deviation (Ss), independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, regression and Scheffe test analyzes were used. According to the findings achieved from the research data, classroom teachers generally do not have a positive attitude towards distance education practices; However, it was determined that they had a slightly more positive attitude towards these distance education practices' relatively favorable aspects. Classroom teachers' self-efficacy levels in distance education applications are generally at a good level. There is a positive and meaningful relationship between teachers' attitudes towards distance education and their self-efficacy levels towards distance education practices. On the other hand, while teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy levels towards distance education and distance education practices did not differentiate according to gender and whether they were undergraduate or graduate graduates, differences were determined according to professional seniority, the location of their school and the status of receiving training on distance education. Relationships were also determined between teacher candidates' professional seniority and their attitudes and self-efficacy levels towards distance education. Apart from these, their attitudes towards distance education practices can explain 18.4% of the change in their self-efficacy levels towards distance education, while their self-efficacy levels explain 17.9% of the change in their attitudes. In order to increase the attitudes and self-efficacy levels of classroom teachers towards distance education practices even more, it might be recommended to give undergraduate level courses to candidate teachers in faculties, and to provide in-service training and encouraging practices to teachers on duty.