An Investigation Regarding the Preservice Teachers’ Emotional Literacy Levels and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

Abstract

Self-efficacy beliefs and emotional literacy skills are considered as one of the most fundamental characteristics of teachers to create positive effects on students. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between preservice teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and their emotional literacy levels. This study is designed as a relational survey model research. Study group consisted of 318 volunteer preservice teachers who are fourth graders at education faculty in a state university in the West of Turkey, in 2015-2016 academic year. Teacher Efficacy Scale, Emotional Literacy Scale and Personal Information Form were used to collect data. The results of this study are that according to the gender, there is a significant difference in favor of female preservice teachers in social competence subscale and total score of emotional literacy scale; according to the departments preservice teachers are educated, there is a significant difference in emotional awareness and emotional self-efficacy subscales of emotional literacy scale; on the basis of the gender, preservice teachers' self-efficacy levels differ significantly in favor of female preservice teachers in teaching competency/external factors subscale and total score of the scale; according to the departments preservice teachers are educated, there is a significant difference in preservice teachers' self-efficacy levels in teaching competency/external factors subscale; and finally there is a positive relationship between preservice teachers' emotional literacy levels and their self-efficacy belief levels.