Articles
DOI DOI: 10.52380/ijcer.2026.13.2.981

From Curriculum Beliefs to Teaching Preparedness Examining the Role of Democratic Tendency in Pre-Service Teachers

Eray Eğmir1
  1. 1 Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye

Abstract

Understanding how pre-service teachers’ curriculum belief orientations relate to their professional preparedness is important for teacher education. This study examined the structural relationships among curriculum design orientations, democratic tendency, and teaching preparedness. Data were collected from 287 teacher candidates enrolled in a faculty of education in Türkiye. Participants completed measures of subject-centered curriculum orientation, constructivist curriculum orientation (combining learner-centered and problem-centered orientations), democratic tendency, and teaching preparedness. Structural equation modeling was conducted using Jamovi (Version 2.6.44) to examine the structural relationships among the variables. The results showed that constructivist curriculum orientation positively predicted democratic tendency, whereas subject-centered orientation negatively predicted democratic tendency. Democratic tendency showed a limited and non-significant association with teaching preparedness. Neither constructivist nor subject-centered orientation demonstrated a significant direct effect on preparedness, and democratic tendency did not function as a mediating mechanism. The model explained substantial variance in democratic tendency but relatively limited variance in teaching preparedness. Overall, the findings suggest that constructivist curriculum beliefs are closely aligned with democratic dispositions, while democratic values appear to be associated with broader professional orientations rather than with immediate perceptions of teaching preparedness. The study contributes to the literature by clarifying the distinct roles of curriculum belief orientations and democratic tendency in pre-service teacher development. Practically, the findings suggest that teacher education programs may benefit from integrating democratic participation, reflective dialogue, and learner-centered experiences alongside curriculum-related coursework in order to support broader aspects of professional readiness. 

How to Cite

Eğmir, E. (2026). From Curriculum Beliefs to Teaching Preparedness Examining the Role of Democratic Tendency in Pre-Service Teachers. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 13(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.52380/ijcer.2026.13.2.981
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