Multiple intelligence domains, self-efficiency beliefs and child-liking levels of preschool teachers

This study was conducted to examine preschool teachers' multiple intelligence domains, self-efficacy beliefs and child liking levels. The sample group of the study consisted of preschool teachers working in kindergartens and nursery classes affiliated to Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of National Education in the 2020-2021 academic year. The study was planned in the correlational survey model. "Demographic Information Form", "Multiple Intelligence Survey", "Preschool Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale", and "Barnett Liking of Children Scale" were used as data collection tools. Since the data of the study were not normally distributed, non-parametric tests were used in the analysis of the data. According to the findings of the study indicated that while the most dominant intelligence domain of the teachers was bodily intelligence, there was no significant difference in the multiple intelligence domains according to status of willingly choosing the profession, the years of professional experience, the number of children in their classes and the type of preschool education institution they work in. When the self-efficacy beliefs of the preschool teachers were examined, it was determined that the teachers had the highest self-efficacy beliefs in "Planning" subscale. A significant difference was found in the communication, family involvement, and accommodations of learning and teaching environments subscales and total self-efficacy scores according to the teachers' status of willingly choosing the profession, in the family involvement and planning subscales and total self-efficacy scores according to the years of professional experience, in the classroom management subscale according to the number of students in the class, and in the "learning-teaching process" and "planning" subscales according to the type of preschool education institutions they work in. While the teachers' level of liking children was high in general, there was no significant difference in terms of their status of willingly choosing the profession, their years of professional experience and the number of children in their class. The level of liking children was higher in teachers working in nursery classes than teachers working in kindergartens. There was no significant correlation between preschool teachers' multiple intelligence domains, self-efficacy beliefs and child liking levels. A low significant correlation was found between preschool teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and their levels of liking children.