Examination of the Teacher Identity of Pre Service Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service physical education and sports teachers’ teacher identity scores and to determine whether these scores differ based on gender, grade level, and whether or not the participants have taken the teaching practicum course. The study was conducted using a descriptive survey design, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consists of a total of 300 teacher candidates enrolled in physical education and sports teaching undergraduate programs at different universities in Türkiye during the fall semester of the 2025–2026 academic year. Data were collected using the Pre-service Physical Education Teachers’ Teacher Identity Scale, originally developed by Liu and Keating (2022) and adapted into Turkish culture by Gülünay (2025). In data analysis, descriptive statistics were used along with the independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Mann–Whitney U test. The findings show that pre-service physical education and sports teachers’ overall mean score on the Teacher Identity Scale is (X̄ = 5.62), corresponding to a “quite good” level. Examination of the sub-dimensions reveals that the Teaching Goals sub-dimension has the highest mean score (X̄ = 6.19), indicating a “very good” level. The Professional Responsibilities sub-dimension presents a mean score of (X̄ = 5.43), reflecting a “quite good” level, while the Self-Definitions sub-dimension shows a mean score of (X̄ = 4.74), corresponding to a “good” level. Regarding gender, female teacher candidates were found to have significantly higher overall teacher identity scores than male teacher candidates. However, no significant differences were identified in overall scale and sub-dimension scores based on grade level or whether or not participants have taken the teaching practicum course.