Relationships between Turkish and English teacher candidates critical thinking standarts, critical writing skills, critical reading self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes towards critical listening

The primary objective of this study is to examine the relationships between Turkish and English Language Teacher Candidates' "Critical Thinking Standards, Critical Writing Skills, Perceptions of Critical Reading Self-Efficacy, and Attitudes Toward Critical Listening". In line with this objective, a predictive correlational research model, one of the quantitative research approaches, was used. The sample of the study was selected using convenience sampling, one of the non-random sampling methods, and consists of 1258 teacher candidates from the Turkish and English Language Teaching departments of the Education Faculties at Fırat, Dicle, İnönü, Muş Alparslan, Siirt, and Gaziantep Universities. Within the scope of the study, after examining the differences in teacher candidates' critical writing, reading, listening, and thinking skills according to sociodemographic variables, the relationships between the sub-dimensions and total scores of these variables were analyzed. It was found that all sub-dimensions of the measurement tools used in the study had statistically significant positive correlations, ranging from moderate to high levels. This result provides evidence that each measurement tool can be represented by a single total score. Accordingly, the relationships between the total scores of the measurement tools were examined, and it was observed that the pairwise correlations of the variables considered in the study were statistically significant, positive, and moderate in strength. The study aimed to examine the mediating role of perceptions of critical listening and critical thinking in the relationship between teacher candidates' perception levels of critical reading and critical writing. A regression-based mediation analysis was conducted for this purpose. It was found that the total direct effect of teacher candidates' perception levels of critical reading on their perception levels of critical writing was statistically significant. Accordingly, it was determined that the perception levels of critical reading positively predicted the perception levels of critical writing. Furthermore, the perception level of critical reading was also found to be a positive predictor of both the perception levels of critical listening and critical thinking. Teacher candidates' perception levels of critical listening and critical thinking were found to be positive predictors of their perception levels of critical writing. When the mediator variables (listening and thinking) were included in the model, it was found that teacher candidates' perception levels of critical reading still had a statistically significant effect on their perception levels of critical writing. Accordingly, it was found that teacher candidates' perception levels of critical reading had an indirect effect on their perception levels of critical writing through the partial mediation of their perception levels of critical listening. Similarly, it was found that teacher candidates' perception levels of critical reading had an indirect effect on their perception levels of critical writing through the partial mediation of their perception levels of critical thinking. In conclusion, it was determined that the variables of critical listening and critical thinking play a partial mediating role in the relationship between teacher candidates' perception levels of critical reading and their perception levels of critical writing. After determining that the measurement tools and their sub-dimensions exhibited normal distribution and acceptable reliability, different analyses were conducted in line with the research objectives. In this context, the differences between pre-service teachers' department, university, grade, perceived economic status, mother and father education levels and their critical thinking, reading, writing and listening skills were examined. Keywords: Critical Thinking, Critical Writing, Critical Reading, Critical Listening