Happiness as a Predictor of Attitude towards Teaching Profession: Pedagogical Formation Case

This research aims to identify the relationship between prospective teachers’ happiness levels and their attitudes towards teaching profession. This is a quantitative study conducted in a relational survey model. The research sample consists of 338 students receiving pedagogical formation education at Kahramanmara？ Süt？ü ？mam University Faculty of Education during the spring semester of 2015 and 2016 academic year. The research has employed Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form and Teacher Profession Attitude Scale. Arithmetic mean, standard deviation, r-test, Pearson correlation analysis and Linear regression analysis was used during data analysis. Research results have revealed a positive and significant relationship between pedagogical formation students' happiness levels and their attitudes towards teaching profession. There exists a significant difference between the happiness levels of the pedagogical formation students and their attitudes towards teaching profession in terms of marital status. The happiness levels of the single students and their attitudes towards teaching profession have been found to be higher compared to those who are married. The students’ attitudes towards the teaching profession are mostly influenced by external reasons, and the attitudes of the students are explained by their happiness levels (R2=.05)