Teacher candidates’ non-cognitive skills and programme choices

In the study reported on here we used a quantitative approach and aimed to describe the role of non-cognitive skills and demographic variables on teacher candidates’ actual and aspired programme choices. The research sample comprised 596 teacher candidates studying at 7 teacher training departments at the Mersin University, Türkiye. Research data were obtained via the adjective-based personality scale (ABPS) developed in Türkiye by Bacanlı, İlhan and Aslan (2009). Personal information forms included a preference set to determine the aspirations of teacher candidates. Chi-square tests were implemented while exploring the relationship between aspired and enrolled programme choices and personality traits (used as a proxy for non-cognitive skills) and demographic variables. The findings show that personality traits and demographic variables had some effect on student teachers’ choice of major subjects from particular programmes. However, the links and effects were not as strong and descriptive as shown in similar research in other countries. The results show a weak relationship between student teachers’ aspirations, personality traits, and demographic variables. The relationships were observed mostly for pre-primary and Turkish language teacher candidates. The findings support the hypothesis that the strongest effect on students’ choices of majors stems from neither their personality nor other variables; their choices probably stem from their test scores obtained in the centrally administered university entrance examination.