Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice – 12 (2) [Supplementary Special Issue] • Spring • 1244-1248 © 2012 Educational Consultancy and Research Center www.edam.com.tr/estp Abstract This study aimed to determine to what extent the personal values of class teacher candidates predict their attitude towards teaching. The universe of the research is teacher candidates from the Kazım Karabekir Faculty of Education, Ankara University in the 2010-2011 academic year. 305 teacher candidates from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year class were determined by the criterion sampling method constitute the sample of the research. A Personal Values Inventory and an Attitude Scale towards the Teaching Profession were the data collection instruments. For the analysis of data, frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were used. According to the data obtained, the personal values of the teacher candidates were found to predict their attitudes towards teaching profession in the proportion of 22%. Key Words Personal Values, Teaching Profession, Attitude, Class Teacher. The Relationship between Personal Values and Attitude towards Teaching Profession * he most important part of an education system is the teacher; because the impact of the teachers on the students and education programs is known to be much higher than any other aspect. However, in order to be successful in this profession, the teacher candidates should accept the profession uncondi- tionally, and practice it with love and passion. Te- aching requires both cognitive competences such as knowledge and skill, and afective competences such as attitudes and behaviors. It is necessary that teacher candidates should have certain values and attitudes regarding the profession, just as they sho- uld have certain knowledge (Çetin, 2006). Values, attitudes, interest and needs are the main factors constituting the personality of teachers (Güleçen, Cüro, & Semerci, 2008). Attitude means the emotional tendency of an individual in favor of or against any circumstances, events, objects, pla- ces or ideas (Papanastasiou, 2002; Tavşancıl, 2006; Temizkan, 2008). Although value has been defined in many diferent ways (Aspin, 2007; Halstead & Taylor, 2000; Schwartz, 1994), when considered in terms of attitudes, it is the mental representation that shapes many diferent attitudes afecting an in- dividuals’ reaction to a certain situation (Devrani, 2010). herefore, values are important in that they form, shape and change the attitudes of individuals towards diferent circumstances (Dilmaç, 1999). he concepts of value and attitude support and sha- pe each other. Attitudes might be observed through values preparing the individual to act, thus they might be considered as the tendency to prepare an individual to act with the help of their values. Many problems regarding the behaviors of individuals stem from their attitudes towards circumstances, and values individuals obtain or already have form and shape these attitudes (Balcı, 2008). Individuals’ actions mainly result from their values and attitu- des (Doğanay, 2009). A person’s behaviors mostly depend on his/her attitudes, and attitudes depend * This study was presented at the Values Educa- tion Symposium, October 26–28, 2011, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey. a Ahmet NALÇACI, Ph.D., is an assistant profes- sor in the Department of Classroom Teaching. His research focuses on teacher education and social studies education. Correspondence: Ataturk University, Kazım Karabekir Education Faculty Primary School Division. 25240 Yakutiye- Erzurum/Turkey. E-mail: ahnalcaci@hotmail.com Phone: +90 442 231 4252. Ahmet NALÇACI a Atatürk University Fatih BEKTAŞ Atatürk University