Decision making sytes of student teachers in relation to different psychosocial characteristics

SUMMARY This study investigated decision making styles of student teachers in relation to different psychosocial characteristics. A total of 335 fourth-grade students were selected from different depertments of the Faculty of Education at the Pamukkale University (223 females, 228 males). The Decision Making Styles Scale was translated to Turkish and used to collect study data. In addition, a quastionnaire was used to collect information related to subjects' psychosocial characteristics. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Study hypotheses were tested for computed statistics using suitable tests such as t-test, and Analyses of Variance (folowed by Tukey's post-hoc multiple comparisons method when significant). It was found that the relationships between decision making styles were statistically significant. The main findings of this research study may be outlined as fallows: Significant relationships were listed for the dependent and independent variables, respectively, as folows: Rational decision making style; department, self- response of students on who influences their decision making process the most, the self response of students on their problem solving abilities; Dependent decision making style, the self-response of students on their social-economic status, the self response of students on perceived parent behavior, self-response of students on who influences their decision making process the most, the self response of students on their problem solving abilities; Aviodant decision making style, perceived self, the self-response of students on how they are perceived socially, the self-response of students on their innovative behavior, the self-response of students on their intelligence and aptitude, the self response of students on their problem solving abilities; spontaneous decision making styles, the self response of students on perceived parent behavior, the self response of students on perceived peer behavior, the self-response of students on their intelligence and aptitude, the self response of students on their problem solving abilities. Intuitive decision making style was found to be the only variable that did not have any significant relationship with any other variable. The results were discussed in terms of their educational implications and recomendations were given for educators, counselors, psychologists and researchers.