Professional anxieties of preschool teacher candidates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the anxieties of preschool teacher candidates regarding their future profession. A survey was administered to 269 teacher candidates in all grade levels studying at Kastamonu University. We collected data by means of questionnaires that included demographic questions (grade level, gender, high school, grade-point average, and whether they willingly chose to be teachers and to enter preschool education specifically) and nine open-ended questions on specific areas. The results showed that 49.8% of the teacher candidates had anxieties about classroom management; 46.1% about communication with parents; 26.8% about communicating with children; 29.7% about communicating with school directors and other teachers; 61% about the children’s orientation to school; 43.9% about childcare issues; 59.9% about inclusion of children with disabilities; 59.1% about the environment in which they will find themselves once they are hired; and 40.9% about the planning and execution of teaching and learning processes.