The relationship between teacher candidates' learning styles and their conceptions about teaching and learning and their science teaching efficacy beliefs

Nowadays the importance given rise to individual differences and meaningful learning by educational programs on the basis of the constructivist approach makes it important that presenting information to students in accordance to their learning styles. Meaningful learning of students can be provided with effective guidance of teachers. For science subjects to be thought effectively, teachers' self-efficacy beliefs of science education is expected to be high. Because of the fact that teachers tend to teach as they learn, their learning styles, science teaching efficacy beliefs and conceptions about teaching and learning are needed to be investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship between learning styles and conceptions about teaching and learning and science teaching efficacy beliefs of primary school and science teacher candidates. The participants of the study consist of 3rd and 4th grade teacher candidates educating in the Department of Primary School and Science Education in the Faculty of Education in Abant İzzet Baysal University in the spring semester of the 2013-2014 academic year. 326 of the participants are girls and 97 of the participants are boys. The Elementary Teacher's Science Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, the Learning Styles Scale and the Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire were used in the study as data collection tools. The Elementary Teacher's Science Efficacy Beliefs Instrument, was developed by Riggs and Enochs (1990) and adapted into Turkish by Bikmaz (2002). The Learning Styles Scale was developed by Chan and Elliott (2004) and adapted into Turkish by Aypay (2011). The Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire was developed by Grasha-Riechmann (1994) and adapted into Turkish by Uzuntiryaki, Bilgin and Geban (2003). As a result of data analysis, it was found that the teacher candidates had independent, cooperative and competitive learning styles more and learning styles of the teacher candidates differed significantly according to department and grade level. It appeared that there was a statistically significant difference between the teacher candidates' scores of the traditional approach according to learning styles and gender; constructivist approach, conceptions about teaching and learning and science teaching efficacy beliefs according to department and learning styles; outcome expectancy according to learning styles. It was found that there was a significant and negative relationship between the scores of conceptions about teaching and learning and science teaching efficacy beliefs; significant and positive relationship between the scores of constructivist approach and science teaching efficacy beliefs, outcome expectancy. The results were discussed with a critical approach.