Ex̄ amination of relationship between teachers'character education competencies and curriculum design preferences

The purpose of this research is to determine teachers' character education competencies and curriculum design preferences. The research model is based on correlational survey model, one of the survey models. The population of research consists of teachers working in schools affiliated with Burdur Provincial Directorate of National Education, and the sample consists of 1182 teachers selected from this population by simple random sampling method. As a data collection tool to determine teachers' character education competencies and curriculum design preferences; "Personal Information Form", "Character Education Competency Belief Scale" and "Teachers' Curriculum Design Approach Preference Scale" were used. Necessary statistical analyzes of data collected for the problem and sub-problems of research were carried out with the help of a computer package program. The frequency and percentage values of teachers' responses to scales were calculated. T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to calculate Teachers' Character Education Competencies, and Spearman's Rho Correlation Coefficient was used in correlational analysis. Mann Whitney-U test and Kruskall Wallis H test were used to calculate Teachers' Curriculum Design Approaches. Teachers' character education competencies showed significant differences according to variables of age, educational background, branch, place where they grew up, type of high school they graduated from, educational institution where they work, job satisfaction and reasons for choosing the teaching profession. However, no significant difference was found according to gender variable. While teachers' curriculum design preferences showed significant differences according to variables of their educational background, branch and high school graduation, no significant difference was found according to variables of gender, age and place where they grew up. Finally, it was concluded that there was a negative, low-level and significant relationship between teachers' character education competencies and their curriculum design preference levels. Key Words: Character Education, Character, Curriculum, Design, Program, Teacher.