A Correlational Analysis of Pre-service Teachers’ Lifelong Learning Tendency and Teaching Motivation

This study aims to explore the relation between lifelong learning tendency and teaching motivation among pre-service teachers. In this study, a correlational survey model was used to investigate the relation between pre-service teachers’ lifelong learning tendency and their teaching motivation. The study also examined whether lifelong learning tendency and teaching motivation differed in terms of perception of being a successful teacher in the future and wishing to be a teacher after graduation. The participants of this research were 452 pre-service teachers studying at the Education Faculty of a state university in Turkey in the spring term of 2020-2021. The research data were collected with personal information form and with “Lifelong Learning Tendency Scale” and “Motivation to Teach Scale”. The results obtained from the research showed that pre-service teachers' thinking that they will be successful teachers in the future affects their lifelong learning tendencies and teaching motivations positively. As pre-service teachers' desire to teach after graduation increased, their motivation to teach increased. There is a positive low level significant relation between pre-service teachers' lifelong learning tendencies and their teaching motivation. Teaching motivation of pre-service teachers has a positive low effect on their lifelong learning tendencies. It is necessary for pre-service teachers to have a high motivation to teach and thus have a high lifelong learning tendency, to keep up with the times, to improve themselves, to update their knowledge, and to change.