The Relationship Between Physical Education Teacher Candidates’ Epistemological Beliefs and Academic Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between physical education teacher candidates’ epistemological beliefs and academic self-efficacy beliefs. The research group consisted of a total of 220 preservice physical education teachers (age = 22.32 ± 1.514), 99 female (45%) and 121 male (55%), studying at the Faculties of Sport Sciences of four different universities in the 2022-2023 academic year. A correlational survey model was adopted to examine the relationship between physical education teacher candidates’ epistemological beliefs and academic self-efficacy levels. The personal information form and Epistemological Belief Scale that Schommer (1990) developed and Deryakulu and Büyüköztürk (2002) adapted and the Academic Self-Efficacy scale that Ekici (2012) developed consisting of three sub-dimensions and 33 questions were used as data collection tools. It was found that preservice physical education teachers had high levels of epistemological beliefs, and it was determined that the academic self-efficacy levels of the teachers were low.