ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ İDEOLOJİK İNANÇLARININ VE ÇEŞİTLİLİĞE HAZIRLANMA DURUMLARININ İNCELENMESİ

This study aims to examine prospective teachers' ideological beliefs affecting their preparation for diversity in initial teacher education (ITE). The study was designed as qualitative phenomenology around two phenomena experienced by prospective teachers in ITE. The participants determined based on the criterion and maximum variety sampling are six senior students of an ITE program. The researchers collected via individual interviews with a semi-structured interview form. In the study, the interview questions referred to political, gender, and religious ideology categories to make participants state their views more comprehensively and concretely. The data analyzed is based on conventional content analysis in which an inductive approach takes place. The codes were created from data and hierarchized in a constant comparison process. Results showed that prospective teachers have ideological beliefs. Family, school, and social circle seem to be essential factors in building these beliefs. Although the participants indicate university as a critical factor, they emphasize that ITE does not affect their ideological beliefs. In terms of preparation for diversity, the participant has promising intentions like respecting the different; teachers need to prepare for diversity, and ITE should contribute to this preparation. However, apparent and latent barriers seem to affect their preparation negatively: prospective teachers' conditional respect attitude, being neutral concerns and some latent ideological beliefs on differences, and ITE's current no effect on preparation for diversity. Lastly, suggestions for ITE and further study are provided.