Primary pre-service teachers' qualifications of values educationand the metaphors they have

This study was carried out to determine the primary teacher candidates' qualifications of values education and the metaphors they had. In the study, it was used mixed-method research design. The sample of the study, in which the availability based sampling method was used, consisted of 129 female and 81 male pre-service primary teachers from the first, second, third and fourth classes enrolled in the primary teacher training program. As the data collection tool, the values education qualification scale developed by Lowe (2013) and adapted to Turkish was used. In addition, a written opinion form consisting of five questions was used to determine pre-service teachers' opinions of values and values education. Moreover, by using a written form, it was aimed to determine the candidates' metaphors of the concept "value". While the quantitative data of the study were analyzed using statistical methods, the qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis approaches. It was found that the teacher candidates' self-efficacy of values education was above the average and they saw themselves sufficient at gaining values. As another finding, it was determined that candidates' self-efficacy of values education were statistically higher in favor of female teacher candidates, and the analysis conducted by considering grade level showed there was a statistically significant difference in favor of first graders. The qualitative findings of the study showed that the majority of teacher candidates perceived the values education as training good behaviors aiming to teach the essential characteristics of being human being. It was determined that a large part of the candidates did not study and not have the knowledge about values education included in primary teacher training curriculum. As ones necessary to make students acquire, the candidates considered the values such as respect, honesty, love, responsibility, tolerance, compassion, good morality, patriotism, benevolence, self-confidence, and courtesy. Again, it was found that the majority of the candidates complained about the fact that the teacher training education was predominantly theoretical and did not include the practice of teaching values. One of the findings of the study was the fact that they perceived themselves inadequate on teaching values, due to not taking a particular course devoted to gain the values. The candidates' metaphorical perceptions of values education demonstrated they considered the values a useful element for the society and determining the society in which the individuals live, and a fundamental factor that provides social stability and the substantial as well as life itself. Key words: values, values education, teacher training, value metaphor