Analyzing the relation between the problem solving abilities and critical thinking tendencies of teacher candidates: The sample of Ahi Evran University

This research aims to determine whether problem solving skills and critical thinking dispositions of teacher candidates differ by some variables and to reveal the relationship between their problem solving skills and critical thinking dispositions. The variables are sex, type of high school graduation, department of education, education type, grade point average, educational background of parents, accommodation place and socio-economic status of family. This research is a survey-type descriptive research. The research population consists of 415 final year students who are studying at departments of Turkish Teaching, Science Teaching, Classroom Teaching, Pre-School Teaching, Computer and Instructional Technologies Teaching, Social Sciences Teaching and Primary School Mathematics Teaching in Faculty of Education at Kırsehir Ahi Evran University in 2013-2014 academic year. In the research, "Personal Information Form" developed by the researcher; California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) originally developed by Facione, Facione and Giancarlo (1992) and adapted into Turkish by Kokdemir (2003); Problem Solving Inventory developed by Heppner and Peterson (1982) and adapted into Turkish by Sahin et al. (1993) were used as data collection tools. The quantitative data obtained in practice were transferred into SPSS programme in computer environment and after the data were controlled, a value was assigned to the missing values in a way not to change the average. The data were analyzed using SPPS 17.0 statistical package programme. At the end of the research, it was found that there is a positive, (r=.215) low level, significant relationship at p<0.0005 level between critical thinking levels and problem solving skills of final year students in Faculty of Education at Ahi Evran University. Critical thinking levels are generally high and these levels do not differ significantly by sex, type of high school graduation, success levels, educational background of parents, socio-economic status of family and accommodation place. However, a significant difference was found between teacher candidates' critical thinking levels and their departments of education and education type. Problem solving skills of teacher candidates are generally high. While no significant difference was found between problem solving skills and sex, type of high school graduation, department of high school, success levels, education types, educational background of parents, socio-economic status of family and accommodation place; it was found that department of education affects problem solving skills.