Examining Reading Cultures of Pre-Service Teachers: A Case Study from an Education Faculty in Turkey

English (OpenAlex)

In this study, it has been intended to examine reading cultures of pre-service teachers depending on multiple variables. The study group of this research consists of 377 pre-service teachers who are studying in fourth grade at Turkish Education, Psychological Counseling and Guidance, Primary School Mathematics Education, Computer and Instructional Technologies, Fine Arts-Music Education, English Education, and Special Education departments during the fall semester of 2017-2018 education year. “Reading Culture Scale”, which was formerly developed by the researchers, was carried out in order to designate the reading culture of pre-service teachers. With reference to the produced statistical analyses, the total average point on reading culture of pre-service teachers, who had attended the study, was found as medium. When variables affecting reading cultures of pre-service teachers were examined, a significant difference was observed in the variable of gender, and female pre-service teachers were identified to have higher average points in RCS comparing to male pre-service teachers. There are significant differences in RCS total points of pre-service teachers as regards to the variables of membership to the library, owning a bookcase, having a habit of reading. It has been designated that pre-service teachers with membership to the library, owning a bookcase and having a habit of reading had more RCS total average points than others. Through outcomes of this study, status evaluation, concerning reading cultures of pre-service teachers, had been conducted; and several suggestions were made upon adopting a reading culture to an individual with the aim of future studies.