Microsoft Word - 7.Atabek, Orhon & Burak..edited.docx
Atabek, O., Orhon, G., & Burak, S. (2019). Psychological
well-being of prospective teachers: The case of
pedagogical formation students. International
Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET),
6(4). 799-814.
http://iojet.org/index.php/IOJET/article/view/543
Received: 08.10.2018
Received in revised form: 28.07.2019
Accepted: 24.09.2019
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS: THE CASE OF
PEDAGOGICAL FORMATION STUDENTS
Research Article
Oğuzhan Atabek
Akdeniz University
atabek@akdeniz.edu.tr
Günseli Orhon
Akdeniz University
gnslorhon@gmail.com
Sabahat Burak
Akdeniz University
buraksabahat@gmail.com
Oguzhan Atabek is a research assistant in the Department of Computer Education and
Instructional Technology at Akdeniz University. His research interests include personality,
motives, digital media literacy and using social networking services for educational purposes.
Günseli Orhon is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Akdeniz
University. Her research interests include humor, personality, cognition, and teacher training.
Sabahat Burak is a professor in the Department of Primary Education at Akdeniz University.
Her research interests include instrument education, music education, teacher training, self-
regulated learning, and self-efficacy.
Copyright by Informascope. Material published and so copyrighted may not be published
elsewhere without the written permission of IOJET.
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
799
PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS:
THE CASE OF PEDAGOGICAL FORMATION STUDENTS
Oğuzhan Atabek
atabek@akdeniz.edu.tr
Günseli Orhon
gnslorhon@gmail.com
Sabahat Burak
buraksabahat@gmail.com
Abstract
In addition to the undergraduate programs provided by faculties of education, in Turkey,
Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate Programs are also provided by these faculties.
Graduates of such programs are positioned as teachers in Turkey, the same as the graduates of
faculties of education. Individual differences of teachers are of great importance in terms of
closeness and determination toward students. In addition to personality, psychological features
are also closely related to their professional competence and success, quality of education in
general, and –maybe more importantly- the safety of the students. In this study, it was aimed
to provide insight about the individual differences of students who attend pedagogical
formation training by investigating the psychological status of those students through the
analysis of the relationship between depression, anxiety, stress, coping by humor levels, humor
types and their type of personality. It was observed that 40.2% of participants were in mild
depression while 25.9% of them were in moderate to severe levels. Associations were
investigated by point bi-serial correlation technique and it was found that those participants
with Type A personality had higher levels of depression, stress, anxiety, and self-defeating
humor style.
Keywords: Teacher Training, Pedagogical Formation, A and B Type Personality,
Depression, Anxiety.
1. Introduction
The teacher education system in Turkey follows a binary route. While undergraduate
programs of faculties of education are the primary path to becoming a teacher, pedagogical
formation training (PFT) programs offered by the same institutions serve as the secondary route
for receiving teacher credentials. Teacher training task was considered as a matter of higher
education and assigned to universities by Higher Education Law No 2547 which was
effectuated in 1982 (Akyüz, 2006). All teacher training programs in Turkish universities were
rearranged as 4-year B.Sc. programs in 1989. In order to meet the increased need for teachers,
starting from 1997, compact teacher training programs were created in addition to the standard
teacher training programs of the higher education institutions. However, the quality of those
short-term teacher training programs is a hotly debated topic (Çocuk, Yokuş, & Tanrıseven,
2015; Eraslan, & Çakıcı, 2011; Kızılçaoğlu, 2006).
Instead of a full-fledged teacher training, PFT program provides students with a limited
instruction but with full teacher credentials. Teacher credentials seem to not have a significant
Atabek, Orhon & Burak.
800
predictive value in identifying competence of teachers (Hanushek, & Rivkin, 2004; Ripski,
LoCasale-Crouch, & Decker, 2011). PFT programs enable those who don't hold a degree from
a faculty of education to become a teacher. Despite not experiencing a formal higher education
training, faculty of open university graduates are also entitled to receive teacher credentials by
completing the aforementioned programs. What elevates the importance of the issue is the fact
that those programs in question pave the way of being a teacher for anyone who wants to be
one (Azar, 2011) over a period of time measured in months. The ability to earn full teacher
credentials by a limited teacher training in a relatively short period of time is an important
obstacle to training of qualified teachers (Köse, 2017).
PFT process has undergone many changes. The education in question which was applied in
the form of a master’s without thesis was started to be given through a "certificate education"
after 2010-2011 academic year (Kartal & Afacan, 2013). In addition to the changes in the
structure and contents of the program, PFT programs have been reinstated by the Council of
Higher Education, despite being abolished many times due to lack of quality (Çocuk, Yokuş,
& Tanrıseven, 2015). The fact that these programs have always been reopened in spite of being
closed many times indicates that PFT practice will remain in effect for a while. Considering
that the teacher is the most important element of the education system (Şişman, 2007);
scientific examination of the PFT process which is the secondary route of the teacher training
system and the persons who have the right to become teachers with PFT certificates will be
useful for obtaining prior knowledge about the future structure of the Turkish education system.
It is considered as a serious problem by faculty members in these programs that candidates
are not being tested for their personality and psychological status (Köse, 2017). Since their
attitudes, behaviors and emotional reactions can affect the student from a young age, teachers
should be competent in terms of all qualifications (Varış, 1988). In the process of the
evaluation, selection, and training of the students who want to participate in the PFT certificate
program, the personal characteristics of the candidate are important in terms of the competence,
qualifications, and professional success of the trainee, and even of the quality of the education
service in general (Süral, & Sarıtaş, 2015). Teachers' involvement with their students affects
not only their school achievement but also their personality (Küçükahmet, 2005). Considering
teachers' effects on and their capacities to reach the students, the safety of the students should
not be overlooked as well.
The fact that teachers are very close to and have crucial effects on children from early ages
on makes the individual characteristics of the teachers important as well as their professional
competence. Characteristics that dispose a person towards certain behaviors, choices, and
experiences such as personality traits and emotional states may play important roles in a
teacher’s ability to interact in meaningful, engaging, and effective ways with students (Ripski,
LoCasale-Crouch, & Decker, 2011). Özdemir and Polat (2016) stated that teachers should have
a "solid and balanced personality" because of their effects on the lives of students. Arı (2015)
argues that, in addition to qualifications specific to teaching profession, certain personality
characteristics must be found in teacher candidates. Ripski, LoCasale-Crouch, and Decker
(2011) state that “personality traits, separate from their educational training, are useful in
predicting attitudes, behaviors, performance, and outcomes in organizational setting” (p. 77).
Considering that they are role models for students; besides their professional qualifications
and personalities, the psychological status of teachers can also influence the psychological
states of the students (Özdemir & Polat, 2016). Mentally and psychologically healthy teachers
are needed to guide the students (Evers, Tomic, & Brouwers, 2004). Studies have indicated
that teachers' performance in the classroom is linked to emotional states such as depression,
anxiety, and stress levels (Hamre & Pianta, 2004; Ripski, LoCasale-Crouch, & Decker, 2011;
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
801
Uzman & Telef, 2015). Depression, anxiety and stress are the most common psychological and
/ or psychiatric health problems teachers experience (Uzman & Telef, 2015). Moreover;
Haslam, Atkinson, Brown, & Haslam (2005) report that depression and anxiety have been
shown to impair work performance and safety.
Ripski, LoCasale-Crouch, and Decker (2011) reported that the levels of depression, anxiety,
and stress were lower for prospective teachers when compared to non-teacher peers. In the
same study; it has been reported that teacher candidates, who had higher levels of depression,
anxiety, and stress when they start teaching education, have implemented a less qualified
teaching in the following years when they interact with students. Finally, Evers, Tomic, and
Brouwers (2004) argue that mental issues may give way to teacher burnout which they describe
as "emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment".
They argue that teacher burnout negatively affects teachers, their students, and the educational
system. Since perceived personal accomplishment is a factor in the teachers' strategies for
coping with job stressors, psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress
weaken individual's ability to cope with those problems by reducing their sense of personal
accomplishment through burnout. Moreover, interventions that reduce levels of anxiety and
depression improve work performance (Ripski, LoCasale-Crouch, & Decker, 2011). Dumont
and Provost (1999) conclude that social support doesn’t necessarily help individuals with stress
and depression. They argue that self-esteem, problem-solving and coping strategies, and
positive social relationships are better protective factors.
Ripski, LoCasale-Crouch, and Decker (2011) stated that teacher's disposition and emotional
state –particularly depression and stress- are related to his performance in the classroom and
that this effectiveness is measured by the interaction between teachers and students. High
negative emotions are predictive of poorer interactions between children and teachers (Hamre
& Pianta, 2004). In addition to contributing to interaction between teachers and students,
Chauvet and Hofmeyer (2007) state that humor is beneficial to both psychological well-being
as well as a learning experience. They emphasized in their work that humor is a useful "coping
strategy" in relation to psychological health. Özdemir, Sezgin, Kaya, and Recepoğlu (2011)
emphasized that humor is a way of coping that enhances social relations, promotes
interpersonal communication and relationship, and is useful for psychological health. Previous
research indicate that humor is a natural and effective strategy for coping with stressors and
negative emotional states (Brcic, Suedfeld, Johnson, Huynh, & Gushin, 2018; Eisenbarth,
2019; Lin, Li, & Han, 2018; Tagalidou, Loderer, Distlberger, & Laireiter, 2018; Tripathy,
Tripathy, Gupta, & Kar, 2019). Hence, coping by humor is a strategy closely related to the
psychological state of the individual and influences the interaction of the teacher with his / her
students and therefore is closely related to the professionalism of the teacher.
Teacher burnout is associated with psychological status including psychosomatic symptoms
(Sakharov & Farber, 1983) and mental health (Brenner & Bartell, 1984). Jepson and Forrest
(2006) argue that, in addition to the environmental stressors and factors intrinsic to the teaching
profession, personality may be another main contributory factor to teacher stress and burnout
which is significantly related to teacher retention, turnover, and quality in teaching. They argue
that individuals with Type A personality would show more pronounced physiological and
emotional reactivity compared to Type B individuals and Type A behavior appears to mediate
the existing effects of environmental stressors. It is necessary to develop and promote the use
of instruments to accurately measure teacher burnout. Shedding light on the relationship
between Type A personality and emotional states such as depression, anxiety, and stress may
help develop a deeper understanding of individual differences required to better identify
teachers and teacher candidates who are prone to such threats. It will also help develop better
Atabek, Orhon & Burak.
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coping strategies and methods which are especially useful for most vulnerable teachers and
teacher candidates.
It should also be noted that, according to a study conducted on individuals between the ages
18 and 65 years in Oslo, capital of Norway, 13.4% of the population suffers from personality
disorders (Torgersen, Kringlen, & Cramer, 2001). Jepson and Forrest (2006) state that
personality trait appears to mediate the existing effects of environmental stressors. They argue
that personality and individual differences are pivotal to understanding why some people suffer
work-related stress.
Moreover, Arsenault and Dolan (1983) state that tolerance of stressors such as working
conditions depends on individual characteristics such as Type A personality and “interaction
between stressors and individual characteristics results in either ‘fit’ or ‘misfit’ which can be
measured by the presence or absence of various signs and symptoms of strain”. They classify
these signs and symptoms as “physiological (i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol, serum uric acid,
etc.); psychological (i.e. depression, anxiety, job dissatisfaction, etc.); and behavioral (i.e.
performance, absenteeism, sexual problems, drinking, excessive eating, etc.)”. Jepson and
Forrest (2006) report that Type A behavior significantly predicts perceived stress and Type A
personality shows more pronounced physiological and emotional reactivity compared to Type
B. Thus, profession, personality traits, and physiological states have a dynamic relationship in
which Type A personality seems to be a predictor.
Type A and B personality theory was first described by Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman
in 1950s while researching the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Type A personality
is characterized by time urgency, impatience, and hostility and traditionally reported to be
associated with coronary heart disease (Hisam, Rahman, Mashhadi, & Raza, 2014). Friedman
(1996) suggests that Type A behavior is expressed through three major symptoms: (1) free-
floating hostility, which can be triggered by even minor incidents; (2) time urgency and
impatience, which causes irritation and exasperation usually described as being "short-fused";
and (3) a competitive drive, which causes stress and an achievement-driven mentality. They
are often described as impatient, hasty, impulsive, ambitious, hyperalert, proactive, anxious,
hostile, angry, workaholic, and overly concerned with time management. Friedman (1996)
describes Type B personality as the contrast to those of Type A. They are often described as
comparatively more tolerant, more relaxed, less competitive, more patient, and easy-going.
People with Type B personality tend to experience lower levels of anxiety and display a higher
level of imagination and creativity (McLeod, 2017).
With the light of the research above, it seems that a teacher's psychological well-being is a
crucial factor both for their own and students' further developmental process. In order to be
more specific, those questions should be answered: What is the prevalence of depression,
anxiety, and stress among students attending the PFT program at Akdeniz University? To what
extent do those students use humor as a coping strategy and which humor styles are employed?
How do such negative emotional states, coping by humor, and humor styles relate to Type A
personality?
In this study; it was aimed to investigate the psychological status of the students who attend
the pedagogical formation education certificate program by examining the relationship
between depression, anxiety, stress, coping by humor, humor types, and personality.
2. Method
Throughout the study, the ethical rules set by Akdeniz University have been observed and
only consenting individuals have participated in the research.
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
803
2.1. Research design
The correlational research method was utilized in the research. There are a total of nine
variables in the study. "Type A and B Personality" is the independent variable of the research.
It is a dichotomous nominal variable and can only have values of 0 (Type B Personality) and
1 (Type A Personality). The other eight variables are continuous and used as dependent
variables. Dependent variables of the study are: Severity of Depression, Trait Anxiety,
Perceived Stress, Affiliative Humor Type, Self-Enhancing Humor Type, Aggressive Humor
Type, Self-Destructive Humor Type, and Coping by Humor.
2.2. Participants
The data were collected through questionnaires from prospective teachers who were
attending the pedagogical formation education certificate program at Akdeniz University
Faculty of Education. A total of 111 teacher candidates from the certificate program
participated in the study. While 69 (61.6%) of the participants were female students, 42 (37.8)
were male. Participants were between 20-46 years of age and 74% were in 20-25 years age
range. Of the students who participated in the survey, 51 (45.5%) –who are almost half of the
participants- graduated from Turkish Language and Literature department.
2.3. Data collection tools
A demographics questionnaire was developed by the researchers and used to collect
demographic data of the respondents. In addition to the demographics questionnaire, a total of
six scales were used. Type A and B Personality Scale was used for determining whether the
respondent is more likely to be Type A or B in terms of his or her personality. Beck's
Depression Inventory was used for measuring severity of depression of the participants. Trait
Anxiety Inventory was utilized for measuring trait anxiety. For measuring stress, Perceived
Stress Scale was employed. Coping by Humor Scale was utilized to measure the degree to
which respondents make use of humor in coping with stress. Finally, in order to assess four
dimensions relating to individual differences in uses of humor, Humor Styles Questionnaire
was used. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation was used to get the factors from
the scales. Table 1 depicts the factors extracted from questionnaires.
Table 1. Factors extracted from questionnaires.
Variable
Number
of
Items
Loading
Range Eigenvalue
% of
(Total)
Variance
Depression 21 0.686 - 0.237 5.119 24.378
Trait Anxiety 20 0.812 - 0.182 6.622 33.109
Perceived Stress 10 0.802 - 0.536 4.471 44.714
A and B Type Personality 25 0.741 – 0.014 5.420 21.681
Coping by Humor 7 0.792 - 0.187 2.842 40.601
Humor Types (43.300)
Affiliative 8 0.743 - 0.595 3.738 46.730
Self-Enhancing 8 0.752 - 0.280 3.262 40.771
Aggressive 8 0.643 - 0.278 2.263 28.285
Self-Defeating 8 0.757 - 0.159 2.834 35.422
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All variables were constructed as interval variables. A new dichotomous variable for Type
A and B Personality was formed, and those scoring above 73.14, which is the average of this
scale, were evaluated as type A person (1) and those scoring below 73.14 were evaluated as
type B person (0). Results of the reliability analyses in terms of Cronbach’s alpha value are
shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Results of reliability analysis for scales and subscales.
Scale Variable Cronbach's α
Beck's Depression Inventory Depression 0.828
Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait Anxiety 0.881
Perceived Stress Scale Perceived Stress 0.860
Coping by Humor Scale Coping by Humor 0.716
Type A and B Personality Scale Type A and B Personality 0.815
Humor Styles Questionnaire Affiliative Humor Style 0.830
Self-Enhancing Humor Style 0.780
Aggressive Humor Style 0.629
Self-Defeating Humor Style 0.715
2.3.1. Type A and B Personality Scale
The scale was developed by Rathus and Nevid (1989) based on the work of Friedman and
Rosenman (1974) to determine whether individuals have type A or type B personality traits. It
was adapted for Turkish by Batıgün and Şahin (2006). The Turkish version of the scale (A ve
B Tipi Kişilik Ölçeği) is a 5 point Likert type scale consisting of 25 items. Score range is 25-
125 and higher scores indicate the intensity of type A personality traits in individuals. The scale
is: 1=Certainly not appropriate for me, 2=Not appropriate for me, 3=Occasionally appropriate
for me, 4=Comparatively appropriate for me, 5=Certainly appropriate for me. In this research,
Cronbach’s alpha value of the scale is 0.815.
2.3.2. Beck's Depression Inventory
The inventory was developed by Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, and Erbaugh (1961) for
measuring the severity of depression. It was adapted for Turkish by Hisli (1988). Turkish
version of the scale (Beck Depresyon Envanteri) is a 4 point Likert type scale consisting of 21
items. Score range is 0-63 and higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms. The
scale is: 0=I do not feel sad, 1=I feel sad, 2=I am sad all the time and I can't snap out of it, 3=
I am so sad or unhappy that I can't stand it. The standard cut-off scores are: 0–9: minimal
depression, 10–18: mild depression, 19–29: moderate depression, 30–63: severe depression. In
this research, Cronbach’s alpha value of the scale is 0.828.
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
805
2.3.3. Trait Anxiety Inventory
The inventory was developed by Spielberger, Gorsuch, and Lushene (1970) to diagnose trait
anxiety and to distinguish it from depressive syndromes. It was adapted for Turkish by Öner
and Le Compte (1983). The Turkish version of the scale (Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri) is a 4 point
Likert type scale consisting of 20 items. Score range is 20-80 and higher scores indicate greater
anxiety. The scale is: 1=Almost never, 2=Sometimes, 3=Often, 4=Almost always. In this
research, Cronbach’s alpha value of the scale is 0.881.
2.3.4. Perceived Stress Scale
The scale was developed by Cohen, Kamarck, and Mermelstein (1983) to measure the
degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. It was adapted for Turkish by
Yerlikaya and İnanç (2007). The Turkish version of the scale (Algılanan Stres Ölçeği) is a 5
point Likert type scale consisting of 10 items. Score range is 0-40 and higher scores indicate
more perceived stress. The scale is: 0=None, 1=Almost none, 2=Sometimes, 3=Often, 4=Very
Often. In this research, Cronbach’s alpha value of the scale is 0.86.
2.3.5. Coping by Humor Scale
The scale was developed by Martin and Leftcourt (1983) to measure the use of humor in
coping with stress and the association between sense of humor and mental health. It was
adapted for Turkish by Yerlikaya (2009). The Turkish version of the scale (Mizah Yoluyla
Başa Çıkma Ölçeği) is a 4 point Likert type scale consisting of 7 items. Score range is 7-28
and higher scores indicate greater frequency of mirthful behaviors. The scale is: 1=Strongly
disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Agree, 4=Strongly Agree. In this research, Cronbach’s alpha value of
the scale is 0.716.
2.3.6. Humor Styles Questionnaire
The questionnaire was developed by Martin, Puhlic-Doris, Larsen, Gray and Weir (2003)
to assess four dimensions relating to individual differences in uses of humor: affiliative, self-
enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating. It was adapted for Turkish by Yerlikaya (2003). The
Turkish version of the scale (Mizah Tarzları Ölçeği) is a 7 point Likert type scale consisting of
32 items. The scale is: 1=Strongly disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Somewhat disagree, 4= Indecisive,
5=Somewhat agree, 6=Agree, 7=Strongly agree. In this research, Cronbach’s alpha values for
affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating humor styles are respectively: 0.83,
0.78, 0.629, and 0.715.
2.4. Data analysis
The data was transferred to the computer by the researchers. The scores of the latent
variables were calculated by summation of the numerical values of the participants’ responses.
Data analysis was carried out by statistical measures. SPSS software was used for the general
arrangement and analysis of the data, and evaluation of the results (IBM SPSS Statistics
Version 22). Since the independent variable was dichotomous and dependent variables were
continuous, relationships between variables were measured by point bi-serial correlation
technique.
3. Findings
A Type Personality was the sole independent variable. Eight latent variables calculated from
other scales served as dependent variables. Results of the descriptive analysis of the variables
are shown in Table 3.
It was observed that, 51 (45.5%) of the participants were Type A, and the remaining 60
(53.6%) was Type B. While 59 (52.7%) of the participants were high on stress, 53 (47.3%)
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were low. Results showed that more than half of the participants were high on stress. While 51
(45.5%) of the participants had trait anxiety, 61 (54.5%) did not. Only 38 (33.9%) of the
participants were in the minimal depression level which is the lowest one. Of the participants,
45 (40.2%) were in mild, 26 (23.2%) were in moderate, and 3 (2.7%) were in severe depression
levels. Depression severity levels are shown in Table 4.
Table 3. Descriptive results.
Min. Max. Mean Standard Deviation Variance
Perceived Stress 7 37 20.91 6.699 44.875
Severity of Depression 0 31 13.58 7.420 55.057
Depression Severity Level 1 4 1.95 0.826 0.682
Trait Anxiety 28 70 45.65 9.742 94.914
Coping by Humor 10 28 18.20 3.541 12.538
Affiliative Humor 15 56 42.18 8.792 77.301
Self-Enhancing Humor 8 53 35.35 8.698 75.652
Aggressive Humor 8 42 21.12 7.424 55.113
Self-Defeating Humor 9 52 27.04 8.588 73.755
Personality 43 106 73.14 12.787 163.500
Table 4. Depression severity levels.
f %
Minimal Depression 38 33.9
Mild Depression 45 40.2
Moderate Depression 26 23.2
Severe Depression 3 2.7
Note: “f” represents frequency while “%” stands for the percentage.
It was observed that; there was a positive and statistically significantly correlation between
Type A Personality and Stress (rpb=0.302, p<0.001), Depression (rpb=0.327, p<0.001), Anxiety
(rpb=0.330, p<0.001), and Self-Defeating Humor (rpb=0.282, p<0.01). Type A Personality did
not correlate with Coping by Humor, Affiliative Humor Style, Self-Enhancing Humor Style,
and Aggressive Humor Styles. Significant correlations between Type A personality and
dependent variables are shown in Table 5.
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
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Table 5. Correlations with Type A personality.
rpb p
Perceived Stress 0.302 <0.001
Depression 0.327 <0.001
Trait Anxiety 0.330 <0.001
Self-Defeating Humor 0.282 <0.01
Note: “rpb” represents point bi-serial correlation coefficient while “p” stands for the
statistical significance.
4. Discussion
The purpose of the study was to investigate the psychological status of the students who
attend the pedagogical formation education certificate program by examining the relationships
between depression, anxiety, stress, coping by humor, humor types, and personality. The
results indicated that almost half of the students fall into Type A personality category which is
significantly associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and self-defeating humor. Results also
indicated that proportion of individuals suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress are
significantly higher than norm values.
Mean perceived stress level of PFT students (20.91) was lower than previously reported
mean values. Güvendi and Hazar (2016) reported that mean perceived stress for students of
physical education teaching, classroom teaching, and pre-school teaching departments were
27.7, 28.1, and 28.1, respectively. However, the proportion of students who have higher stress
levels (52.7%) was greater than what Bayram and Bilgel (2008) reported as the proportion of
university students who have stress levels of moderate severity or above (27%). Results
indicate that stress is prevalent among PFT students but its severity seems to be lower than
expected. The decrease in mean stress level may be a result of the new job opportunity that
PFT certificate provides. Dumont and Provost (1999) state that self-esteem is the "prominent
protective resource that youth can use against daily negative life events". They argue that a
strong perception of control and confidence in abilities "guard against negative perceptions of
daily stressful situations". It seems that PFT students may be feeling that PFT certificate is an
instrument increasing their capacity to cope with unemployment. Thus, being a PFT student
may result in a more positive personal perception and, as a consequence, higher self-esteem.
Mean trait anxiety (45.65) was higher than what Spielberger (2010) reported as norm mean
values for working adults (34.89 for males, 34.79 for females) and college students (38.30 for
males, 40.40 for females). In addition to the mean value, percentage of participants who had
anxiety (45.5%) was also greater than what Uzman and Telef (2015) reported as the proportion
of teachers who suffers from anxiety (%30.7). Results indicate that even though PFT students
are better at coping with stress, their anxiety persists at higher levels. Teacher candidates who
do not seek support from mother, father or siblings, who do not believe that they will be helped,
who fear from being judged by others, and who have low self-confidence have higher levels of
anxiety (Uzman & Telef, 2015). Haslam et al. (2005) report that high-anxiety individuals
perceived a lack of understanding among their colleagues and managers about the nature of
anxiety, felt that their managers offered little help, felt stigmatized, and "were reluctant to tell
people at work about their illness". Students enroll in PFT programs because their current
professions do not provide them with satisfactory job opportunities. It seems that PFT students
perceive themselves to have lower social status because of their unserviceable profession. They
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may be feeling that nobody can help them because of the nature of the economy and job market.
PFT certificate program seems to lower their stress but their anxiety persists because of the
uncertainty about their social and economic status due to the quality of the education provided
by those programs.
Mean severity of depression (13.58) was higher than the norm mean value (9.14) reported
by Whisman and Richardson (2015). They also reported that 74% of undergraduates had
depression scores lesser than 13 and only 12% had depression scores higher than 19. Among
teachers, Uzman and Telef (2015) reported as low as %5.5 as a proportion of individuals
suffering from depression. In this study, PFT students who have moderate to severe depression
levels (depression level>19) constitute 25.9% of all the participants. Results indicate that both
mean levels and the proportion of participants who suffer from moderate to severe depression
are considerably higher than norm levels and values reported in previous research. It seems
that PFT students need serious help regarding this negative emotional state.
Herman-Stahl and Petersen (1996) state that ineffective coping is a risk factor for
depression. They report that individuals with depressive symptoms have poorer coping skills,
more negative self-efficacy expectations and outcome expectancies, and less satisfactory
relations with family and peers. Dumont and Provost (1999) also highlight the negative
relationship between coping skills, satisfactory relations with family and peers and depression.
They also report that self-esteem and positive personal perception also correlate with
depression. It seems that PFT students struggle with the social and economic consequences of
having an unserviceable profession. While self-esteem, self-confidence, coping skills, and
personal perception seem to be the intrinsic risk factors for depression; interpersonal
relationships especially the ones with family and peers, and outcome expectancies may be
extrinsic risk factors. Enrolling in a PFT program helps reduce perceived stress levels but more
serious and deeper emotional states such as anxiety and depression seem to be persisting.
Among humor styles, 45.5% of the participants are inclined only to Self-Defeating Humor
Style and they can't use humor even as a coping strategy. Humor is an important coping strategy
and it is useful for coping with psychological health problems such as depression, anxiety, and
stress. Humor also enhances social relations, promotes interpersonal communication, and
influences the interaction between teacher and his / her students. Depression, anxiety, and stress
reduce the ability of the individual to cope with stressors and weaken his or her social
relationships. These individuals need to improve their coping techniques and be more
socialized. The inability of most PFT students to use humor as a coping strategy is an indication
that they need external help to improve their coping skills.
Fifty-one (45.5%) of the participants were observed to have A Type personality. The strong
correlation of A Type personality with stress, anxiety, and depression indicates that almost half
of pedagogical formation students appear to need psychological support. A Type personality is
often associated with impatience, impulsiveness, stress, anxiety, hostility, and anger. Results
of this study indicate that almost half of the PFT students are in an unsteady psychological
state. These individuals may not be fully ready to display a behavioral pattern traditionally
expected from a teacher because of their A Type behavioral pattern which seems to be
associated with negative emotional states. Their current perturbed and unsteady mood may also
stem from the fact that for a considerable part of these individuals, teacher credentials is an
escape from their current problematic social and economic status. Some of those individuals
may be viewing PFT certificate as a last chance for a better paying job.
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
809
5. Conclusion
Findings revealed that, even though mean perceived stress level of PFT students was lower
than previously reported mean values, the proportion of students who have higher stress levels
was greater than previously reported proportion for university students who have higher stress
levels. Mean trait anxiety of PFT students was higher than previously reported norm mean
values for working adults and college students. Percentage of participants who had anxiety was
also greater than the previously reported proportion of teachers who suffers from anxiety.
Similarly, mean severity of depression was higher than the norm mean value and proportion of
PFT student suffering from moderate to severe depression was also greater than previously
reported proportion of teachers suffering from moderate to severe depression. Hence, results
indicate that (a) PFT students had higher mean values for both depression and anxiety
compared to population means values and (b) proportion of individuals suffering from
depression or anxiety were considerably higher than values reported in previous research.
Moreover, among humor styles, almost half of the participants were inclined only to self-
defeating humor style and they seemed to be unable to use humor even as a coping strategy.
Results indicate that stress is prevalent among PFT students but its severity seems to be
lower than expected. The decrease in mean stress level may be a result of the new job
opportunity that PFT certificate provides. Enrolling in a PFT program helps reduce perceived
stress levels but more serious and deeper emotional states such as anxiety and depression seem
to be persisting. Depression, anxiety, and stress reduce the ability of the individual to cope with
stressors. The inability of most PFT students to use humor as a coping strategy is an indication
that they need external help to improve their coping skills. It seems that PFT students need
serious help regarding negative emotional states such as anxiety and depression. PFT certificate
program seems to lower their stress but their anxiety persists because of the uncertainty about
their social and economic status.
6. Recommendations
Depending on the findings of the study, teacher educators should have their eyes on possible
signs of depression and consider intervention strategies for teacher candidates who might need
them. It should be noted that those who suffer from such emotional states may not seek for
help or even may not believe others can help them. Creating environments and opportunities
for teacher candidates for socialization and attending social activities may also help. In addition
to psychological help, students may be provided with help for learning coping strategies against
stress, anxiety, and depression.
In addition to creating intervention and protection strategies for helping with stress, anxiety
and depression, stakeholders should note that letting severely depressed individuals become
teachers and start teaching in schools may be harmful to the students, colleagues and for the
education service in general. A strategy is needed for detecting and rightfully managing
individuals who want to enroll in teacher training programs and who are suffering from such
severe levels of emotional states and mental illnesses.
Most of the PFT students seem to be unable to use humor as a coping strategy which is an
indication that they need help to improve their coping skills. Students of PFT programs should
be able to access resources that will help them improve their coping skills not only for their
personal psychological problems but also for helping them improve their skills for interacting
with their future students.
Policymakers should reconsider offering teacher credentials as a life jacket through PFT-
like programs to those who are in a great need for a job. The teaching profession should not be
viewed as a solution for unemployment. Instead, programs offered by higher education
Atabek, Orhon & Burak.
810
institutions may be better planned so that individuals will be spared from earning degrees which
will result in an unserviceable job. In addition to that, those individuals who want to enroll in
a license or certificate program that will grant them teacher credentials should be assessed with
a sound personality testing process. At least those individuals with personality disorders that
might put students and colleagues at risk may be directed to institutional help that they
themselves do not even know they need. Finally, it appears that a considerable part of those
PFT students are susceptible to teacher burnout when they start working in schools. Results of
this study reveal that there is a room for improvement regarding teacher burnout by developing
measures to detect those who are prone to teacher burnout, enhancing the content of the PFT
program in a way so that it provides teacher candidates with resources to cope with factors
leading to teacher burnout.
International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET) 2019, 6(4), 799-814
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