Examination of the relationship between pre-service teachers perceptions of transactional distance and their self-directed learning skills

The aim of this study is to reveal whether there is a relationship between pre-service teachers' perceptions of transactional distance and self-directed learning skills. For this purpose, pre-service teachers' perceptions of transactional distance and self-directed learning skills were examined taking variables of gender and grade level into consideration. For this purpose, the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used as the research model. The sample of the study consisted of 439 pre-service teachers studying at Sakarya University. Simple random sampling method was used while determining the sample. In the research, the "Transactional Distance Perception" scale developed by Horzum (2011), and the "Self Directed Learning Skills Scale" developed by Aşkın-Tekkol and Demirel (2018) and a personal information form containing the demographic information of the pre-service teachers were used. The data obtained from the scales used and the personal information form were analyzed with the SPSS 21 program. For the analysis of the data, the kurtosis and skewness coefficients were firstly examined. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that the data showed a normal distribution. As a result, parametric tests were used to examine the research problems. Since the gender variable consists of two categories, the Independent Groups T-Test was used to compare the groups; and because the grade level variable has more than two categories, the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was used, and lastly; Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was used to examine the relationship between the perception of transactional distance and self-directed learning ability. As a result of the research, it has been determined that there is a moderate positive and significant relationship between the transactional distance and self-directed learning variables in line with the numerical data. However, it was determined that there was no significant difference in the perceptions of transactional distance and self-directed learning skills of pre-service teachers in terms of gender variable. Finally, it was determined that there was no significant difference in the perceptions of transactional distance and self-directed learning skills of pre-service teachers in terms of grade level variable. The results of the research were discussed in detail within the scope of the literature and suggestions were made.