Critical Thinking Disposition of Music Teacher

Individuals gain own existence to the extent that they can think critically. Critical thinking provides learners the capability of solving problems. In this way the society gains people who have independent personality, who are questioning learners and who are becoming a solver rather than problem creator. The aim of this study is to assess critical thinking disposition of music teacher candidates from the point of variances such as age, gender, secondary school type, daily TV audience rate, parental attitude, book and newspaper reading frequency. Method: In order to obtain a general review of research subject, researchers delivered the sample through survey; they have worked on 131 students in the Department Fine Arts, Faculty of Education in Fatih, Karadeniz Technical University, during 2013-2014 education period. In order to determine critical thinking disposition of study group, California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI-T) has been used. Findings: Critical thinking disposition of study group do not considerably vary from the point of variances such as age, gender, secondary school type, watching TV frequency, parental attitude, but it considerably varies from the point of book and newspaper reading frequency. integrative orientations towards EFL learning was observed. It was also indicated that there was not a significance difference between male and female students' motivation level. However, students' instrumental motivation had a greater influence on language learning. In addition, there was not a gender-related significant difference in students' motivational orientations. The overall mean score for students' self-efficacy was found to be at moderate level (M = 3.88). Furthermore, female students' self-efficacy scores were significantly higher than those of the male students. Lastly, positive correlation was found between students' motivational orientations and self-efficacy beliefs. Implications for Research and Practice: Critical thinking-oriented courses, seminars should be provided for music teacher candidates in order to develop their critical thinking capabilities; that learning-teaching activities should be provided in order to create teaching environment based on critical thinking; that various socio-cultural activities should be provided for teacher candidates in order to develop their critical thinking capabilities