Freshman and Senior Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Attitudes toward Teaching Profession

The aim of this study is to compare the attitudes of freshman and senior pre-service teachers pursuing an undergraduate degree in an elementary mathematics education program toward teaching profession and to reveal the kind of relationship that exists between these attitudes. Case study method was used in the study. As a data collecting tool, A 5-point Likert type questionnaire was used. The data of the study were obtained by conducting this questionnaire to total 212 pre-service teachers (141 freshmen, 71 seniors) studying at Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Faculty of Education during 2008-2009 school year. After the answers of the pre-service teachers to questionnaire form were scored, the obtained data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the attitudes of freshmen and senior pre-service teachers toward teaching profession showed statistically significant difference in terms of several variables favoring senior pre-service teachers. Based on the results of the study, several recommendations were made.