Views of Teachers on Responsibility Perceptions about Students’ Academic Achievement and Failure: The Case of Pre-service Teachers of Biology

Abstract

This study aims to understand teachers’ responsibility on students’ academic success and failure, and to scrutinize the views of pre-service teachers of Biology about how pedagogical courses have a role in developing their responsibility perception. The study was designed as a case study. To collect the data, a tool consisting of open-ended questions was used. The participants of the study were 46 pre-service teachers of Biology who took all pedagogical courses in the curriculum. The data were analyzed by using content analysis. Some significant findings were presented in the study. The pre-service teachers of Biology stated that teachers were responsible for success or failure of students. The most important responsibility of teachers was their effect in the education and instruction process in terms of the responsibility perception about students’ academic success and failure. Another important factor was the characteristics of students and pedagogical proficiencies of teachers. Furthermore, pedagogical courses about teaching profession had a significant effect on the development of their responsibility perception about success and failure of students. Each pedagogical course had different benefits but applied courses contributed to this perception more. The pre-service teachers of Biology stated that “School Experience” and “Internship” courses were more effective.