Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers’ Metaphorical Images towards the Concepts of “Teacher Candidate” and “Teacher Educator”

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the metaphorical images of the prospective teachers, who were employed in different teaching programs of education faculties, regarding themselves and their educators, and to evaluate the standard teacher education program in a critical manner. Even though prospective teachers’ metaphorical images pertaining learning, teaching, school and so forth were extensively examined in the previous studies, their personal theories for themselves and their educators have not been subjected to any research study. The current study was designed and conducted as a single survey study. The study was carried out with the participation of 1130 prospective teachers studying at the education faculty of a foundation-supported (private) university in Istanbul. Metaphorical images were taken from all participants towards themselves and their educators. As a result of the interpretive and inductive analysis, the prospective teachers generated metaphorical images for themselves such as: something that needs to be cultivated, leader of future, a fixed-static object, the candidate of the molder, something deceptive, something needs to be shaped, obedient, knowledge receiver, racer, etc. The prospective teachers also produced metaphorical images for their educators in the following manner: bridge function, organic growers, knowledge transmitter, a valuable object, competitors. In general, it was observed that pre-service teachers held a considerably pedagogically subjectcentred or teacher-centred or authority-centred “self ” and “educator” perception. Recommendations were offered regarding pre-service teacher education