Metaphorical Perceptions of Teacher Candidates Regarding of Pedagogical Formation

The aim of this study is to describe the perceptions of teacher candidates attending various programs of education faculties regarding the concept of "Pedagogical Formation", which directly makes the appointment and employment conditions even more difficult. In this study, the phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed. The study group of the research consists of 150 teacher candidates who study in various departments of the Faculty of Education of Bayburt University in the 2021-2022 academic year and voluntarily supported the research. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The metaphors developed by the teacher candidates for the concept of pedagogical formation were classified into 9 different categories. When the distribution of the metaphors developed by the teacher candidates regarding the concept of "pedagogical formation" into categories is examined, the first three categories are as follows: “Pedagogical formation as an element dependent on effort and time (29.93%), Pedagogical formation as a useless phenomenon that can be reached without effort (27.00%), Pedagogical formation as direction and guide (13.86%). As a result, the teacher candidates likened the concept of pedagogical formation to a long marathon that requires effort with full of deep secrets, and they also stated that they see it as a lifelong process, as a richness that adds value to people, and as a mandatory need in the life of the individual. In addition, it was concluded that some teacher candidates who continue on to the education faculty have a negative attitude toward the concept of pedagogical formation, as they do toward the pedagogical formation certificate program that grants the right to teach to candidates who have completed various undergraduate programs other than education faculty programs.