An examination of the relationship between special education teacher candidates' playfulness and their perceived professional self-efficacy

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between playfulness and professional self-efficacy perceptions of special education teacher candidates across various variables. The study was carried out with the participation of 165 special education teacher candidates studying at the Department of Special Education Teaching, Faculty of Education, Trakya University. The research utilized quantitative methods, including relational (correlational) survey and causal-comparative models. During the data collection process, participants were administered the "Demographic Information Form," the "Adult Playfulness Scale" (APS), and the "Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale" (TSES). The data were analyzed using the "IBM SPSS 26" software. In addition to descriptive statistics, "Spearman's Rank Correlation Analysis" was employed to determine the relationships between variables, while "Independent Samples T Test," "Mann-Whitney U," "Kruskal-Wallis," and "One-Way ANOVA" were used to identify differences between groups. According to the results of the study, the participants' playfulness was at a moderate level, and no significant differences were found based on gender, class level, type of high school graduated from, or the type of settlement they grew up in. The participants' professional self-efficacy perceptions were found to be at a sufficiently high level. No significant differences were found between self-efficacy perceptions and gender or the type of settlement they grew up in. However, significant differences were observed based on class level and type of high school. Professional self-efficacy scores increased as class level advanced, with 2nd-year students having the lowest, and 3rd- and 4th-year students showing the highest self-efficacy perceptions. Similarly, graduates from Anatolian High Schools had higher scores in all sub-dimensions and the total score of professional self-efficacy compared to graduates from other high schools. When the relationships between the sub-dimensions of playfulness were examined, positive relationships were found between entertainment-seeking motivation and spontaneity, and a negative relationship was found between entertainment-seeking motivation and inhibition. The sub-dimensions of professional self-efficacy were found to be strongly and significantly related to each other. The most striking finding was the positive and significant relationship between playfulness and professional self-efficacy. Specifically, teacher candidates with high entertainment-seeking motivation felt more competent in student engagement, the use of teaching strategies, and classroom management. In conclusion, the research findings indicate that playfulness serves as a supportive factor for the professional self-efficacy perceptions of special education teacher candidates.