Examining the Relationship between Teacher Candidates' Individual Values and Leadership Orientations

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher candidates' individual values and leadership orientations. The participants of the study were a total of 452 teacher candidates studying in the pedagogical formation program of Karabük University in the 2016-2017 academic year. The Leadership Orientations Scale and Portrait Values Scale were employed to gather the research data. In data analysis, arithmetic mean, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Multilinear Regression Analysis were used. According to the results, the teacher candidates' preferences of values were universalism, security, conformity and benevolence, self-direction, stimulation, traditionalism, hedonism, achievement and power in order of importance, respectively. The highest level of leadership orientation that the teacher candidates had was in the human resources frame, which was followed by structural, symbolic and political frames. Positive and significant relationships were revealed between all dimensions of individual values and those of leadership orientations. The individual values of power and achievement were found to be predictors of structural, symbolic and political frames. Two of the remaining individual values, self-direction and benevolence, were found to be significant and common predictors of all frames of leadership orientations. The findings revealed from the present study were discussed with reference to the literature, and various inferences were made.

Keywords: Individual values, Leadership orientations, Leadership framework, Value-Leadership relationship, Teacher candidates.