Examining the Relationship Between Physical Education and Sports Teacher Candidates' Speaking Self-Efficacy Perceptions and Speech Anxiety

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the speaking self-efficacy perception and speaking anxiety levels of prospective physical education and sports teachers and to test the predictive effect of speaking self-efficacy perception on speaking anxiety. The research was designed in quantitative research method and relational survey model. The research was conducted on 309 physical education teacher candidates studying at different universities. The data of the study were obtained by using Personal Information Form, Speaking Self-Efficacy Scale for Student Teachers and Speaking Anxiety Scale for Student Teachers. Since the data were normally distributed, descriptive analysis, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the analysis, it was observed that pre-service teachers' speaking self-efficacy perceptions were at a high level and their speaking anxiety was at a low level. It was determined that pre-service teachers' perceptions of speaking self-efficacy and speaking anxiety differed significantly in favor of those who had an athlete background and those who regularly read books. It was determined that as the pre-service teachers' perceptions of speaking self-efficacy increased, their speaking anxiety decreased, and it was concluded that their perceptions of speaking self-efficacy negatively affected their speaking anxiety. As a result, it can be said that having done sports in the past and reading books regularly can be effective in increasing speaking self-efficacy perception and decreasing speaking anxiety in pre-service teachers. In addition, considering that speaking self-efficacy perception negatively predicts speaking anxiety, it is recommended that practices that will increase speaking self-efficacy perception should be emphasized to reduce speaking anxiety.