In-Service and Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers’ Levels of Belief in Education: A Comparative Study

The aim of this study was to comparatively examine in-service physical education teachers’ and pre-service physical education teachers’ levels of belief in education. This study, which was carried out with the participation of physical education teachers (n=266) employed in various cities of Turkey, as well as first grade (n=73) and fourth grade (n=64) pre-service physical education teachers studying at Balıkesir, Manisa Celal Bayar and Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Universities, was conducted using a survey model. The “Scale of Teachers’ Levels of Belief in Education” developed by Akın and Yıldırım (2015) was used as the data collection tool in the research. For the data analysis, descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Scheffé’s test were utilised. As a result of the research, it was determined that physical education teachers and pre-service teachers partially believed that the general aims of education were achieved, while they believed that the aims of education related to socialisation and all-round development were achieved more than the aims of education regarding individual differences. In the study, it was found that pre-service teachers believed in education more than in-service teachers, and that teachers’ professional seniority was an important factor affecting levels of belief in education. In future research, qualitative studies and mixed design studies should be conducted in order to obtain more in-depth information related to revealing the reasons for in-service teachers’ and/or pre-service teachers’ partial and low levels of belief in education and to suggesting solutions. Furthermore, future studies with a correlational design aimed at determining the relationships of teachers’ levels of belief in education with their levels of organisational commitment, professional burnout, motivation and alienation and with their perceptions towards the profession will contribute to better understanding of the phenomenon of belief in education.


Introduction
All planned activities related to education are intended to achieve the specified goals and to carry out the functions of education (Şişman, 2018), and are the general goals and basic principles that guide a country's education system and reflect that society's education philosophy and policy. The curricula and activities of education institutions based on the education system are organised within the framework of these goals and principles. Teachers are obliged to carry out these duties in accordance with the goals and basic principles of Turkish national education (Erden, 2017). In this regard, the teacher, who is the main element of the system due to his/her position, assumes the most important role in achieving the goals specified in the education system and curricula.
In realising the goals of education, the importance of well-trained teachers with personal and professional qualifications (Eskicumalı, 2015) who have internalised the goals, principles and values of the education system is undeniable (Cemaloğlu, 2017). Furthermore, the road to serving such an important field as education and achieving efficiency in this service passes through teachers' belief in the job that they do, in other words, in education (Akın & Yıldırım, 2015). Belief in education is expressed as belief in whether or not the goals of education are realised, and beliefs related to whether or not the products produced in the functioning of the education process and at the end of the process are of the desired quality (Yıldırım & Akın, 2017). The general goals of Turkish national education have been expressed in the Basic Law of National Education no. 1739. These goals, which are grouped under three main headings, can be summarised as follows: i) to raise good citizens who know their duties and responsibilities towards the State of the Republic of Turkey, ii) to raise individuals with compete all-round development in physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual and emotional terms, and iii) to ensure that individuals have a profession that will make themselves happy and also contribute to the happiness of society. In this way, the goal is for the Turkish Nation to achieve a contemporary level of civilisation. The objectives of the curricula (MoNE, 2018) prepared in line with the general goals of education included in the Basic Law of National Education are presented in Table   1.

Stage of Education Goal
Preschool "To support the healthy development of students' in physical, intellectual and emotional areas by taking their individual development processes into account."

Elementary School
"Within the framework of students' moral integrity and self-awareness, in accordance with their levels of development and their own individuality, to ensure that they become healthy life-oriented individuals through the effective use of the self-confidence and self-discipline that they possess, and the acquisition of the verbal, numerical and scientific reasoning skills, social skills and aesthetic awareness that they will need in daily life." basic skills and competences finding their expression in the 'Turkish National Qualifications Framework' and in areas specific to other disciplines." High School "By developing the skills that students have acquired in elementary and secondary school, to ensure that they become individuals who have adopted national and moral values and transformed these into a lifestyle, who contribute as productive and active citizens to the economic, social and cultural development of our country, who have acquired the basic skills and competences finding their expression in the 'Turkish National Qualifications Framework' and in areas specific to other disciplines, and who are prepared for a profession, higher education and life in line with their interests and abilities." It is argued that the extent to which teachers' believe or do not believe in the importance of their profession and education will have a positive or negative effect on their discipline, work performance and motivation for teaching in their professional lives (Argon & Cicioğlu, 2017), that teachers who do not believe in education will become more alienated from their professions (Sular, 2020), and that on the other hand, belief will be accompanied by commitment, loyalty and motivation towards their professions. Therefore, there is a relationship between teachers' levels of belief in education and their organisational commitment (Akın & Yıldırım, 2015). DeCotiis and Summers (1987) stated that individuals who have committed themselves to their organisations have four likely common characteristics. These are asserted to be: (1) internalisation of the organisation's goals and values; (2) involvement in an organisational role related to these goals and values; (3) a desire to stay in the organisation for a long time in order to serve these goals and values; and (4) a willingness to make an effort towards these goals and values beyond what is required. According to Mayer and Schoorman (1992) and Yousef (2000), committed individuals are more likely to remain in the organisation, work towards organisational goals and make more effort in their jobs. As stated by Somech and Bogler (2002), it is expected that teachers who are highly committed to their schools will exhibit behaviours that contribute to achieving the goals of the organisation, make important efforts that go beyond minimum expectations, and continue to remain in the organisation. As reported by Dee et al. (2006), a significant study group showed that a higher level of organisational commitment resulted in more effort and commitment towards achieving organisational goals that were closely related to the effectiveness of organisation. As Hulpia et al. (2009) reported, the conducted studies revealed that teacher commitment is a critical determinant of work performance and quality of education. From this perspective, it can be understood that teachers' strong belief in the aims of the education system will be accompanied by their commitment to the organisation.
It is also argued that belief in education and alienation are related concepts and that the degree of belief in education can be seen as a consequence of alienation (Yıldırım & Akın, 2017). Besides the feeling of disappointment regarding career and professional development, alienation from one's work reflects disillusionment related to breach of professional norms (Aiken & Hage, 1966).
Alienation from work is defined as a socio-psychological phenomenon involving an employee's boredom, weariness, apathy and frustration towards work (Kurtulmuş & Karabıyık, 2016). The thought that whatever they do, they will not be able to change anything can also pave the way for teachers' alienation (Yılmaz & Sarpkaya, 2009). Alienation prevents teachers from being a role model for their students and for the society they live in, and from developing themselves in a professional sense, and hinders their efforts towards social development, their productivity in the teaching-learning process, and their collaboration with the school management and with their colleagues. It is not possible for teachers who are alienated from their profession to contribute to their students' learning and personal development at school (Yıldız et al., 2013).
The extent of a teacher's belief in education is also correlated with the teacher's motivation (Yıldırım & Akın, 2017). Teachers' lack of belief in the job that they do negatively affects the motivation of both the student and the teacher (Akbaba, 2006). When the teacher enters the teachinglearning environment, he must first himself believe that his lesson and the activities he is to carry out in the lesson serve a specific purpose. This belief will provide the teacher with motivation and he will then be able to motivate his students to take part in the lesson and activities. In the opposite case, it is difficult for a teacher who does not believe in the importance of his job to persuade his students and create a positive teaching-learning climate (Yıldırım & Akın, 2017). The idea that the level of respect for the teaching profession has decreased, teachers' lack of belief in the work that they do, teachers' feeling of worthlessness and the thought that what they do will be of no benefit comprise some of the intrinsic factors that decrease teachers' motivation (Ada et al.,2013). As stated by Uğraş and Dindar (2019), it can be said that teachers with a high degree of belief in and motivation for the profession will have greater career satisfaction.
When the studies conducted in Turkey related to the case of physical education teachers and physical education lessons are examined, it is known that physical education teachers encounter problems in a number of areas, principally lesson practices and quality, insufficient course time, inschool assignments, lack of facilities, and levels of interest of students' parents and school administrators in sports activities (Kaya et al., 2015). Again, in the conducted studies, there are research findings to the effect that course time is insufficient for achieving the general and specific aims of the physical education and sport course (Taşmektepligil et al., 2006;Yüzüak, 2006). In the previous studies, it was determined that physical education teachers, the school management and other subject teachers did not give importance to their lessons, that students' parents and female students were not interested in the subject of physical education and had negative attitudes towards it, and that parents considered that they did not want their children to steer towards physical education and sport due to a number of academic concerns (Demirhan et al., 2014;Yılmaz et al., 2018;Kul & Hergüner, 2018;Uğraş et al., 2019). As a result of the study by Kul and Hergüner (2018) on the problems of physical education teachers, teachers expressed the view that they could not achieve all the goals and behaviours specified in the curriculum created by the Ministry of National Education in physical education lessons. In studies carried out by Ayan and Tamer (2010) examining the state of implementation of physical education lessons according to their goals, and by Taşmektepligil et al. (2006) examining the views of teachers on the extent to which physical education lessons achieved their goals, some of the problems experienced in achieving goals were revealed to be insufficient weekly lesson time, and inadequacy of sports gym, facilities, technology and equipment. When all these research results are examined, and the structure and nature of physical education lessons are taken into consideration, it is likely that the problems experienced by physical education teachers in their professional lives, and also the current and past educational experiences of pre-service physical education teachers, will have an effect on their levels of belief in education.
When studies conducted on the levels of belief in education of teachers in other branches are examined, it is seen that there is a negative relationship between teachers' levels of belief in education and their levels of alienation from work (Sular, 2020), whereas belief in education is positively correlated with work engagement (Gün, 2017), teaching motivation (Argon & Cicioğlu, 2017), emotional labour behaviours (Ergün & Argon, 2017), and self-efficacy beliefs (Kabakaş, 2019).
Moreover, in the conducted studies, it is seen that teachers' levels of belief in education are generally low. However, in the literature, no study can be found that examines in-service and pre-service physical education teachers' levels of belief in education.
Considering the role played by physical education lessons -in which learning by doing and experiencing is predominant as opposed to lessons mainly conducted in a classroom environment in which academic concerns are mainly at the forefront-in students' psychomotor development as well as in their intellectual and affective development, their socialisation, their personality development, and their acquisition of social values, physical education teachers' and pre-service teachers' believing that the job they do, principally as educators, achieves its aim, in other words, the degree of their belief in education, is an important issue that needs to be emphasised. Therefore, it is thought that this study will contribute to the literature. Based on this thought, the aim of this study is to comparatively examine levels of belief in education in in-service and pre-service teachers of physical education.

Research Design
This study, in which in-service and pre-service physical education teachers' levels of belief in education were comparatively examined, was conducted according to a survey model, which is one of the quantitative research designs. According to Karasar (2017), survey models are arrangements made in a universe consisting of many elements on the whole of the universe or a group, example or sample to be taken from the universe in order to make a general judgement about that universe. In survey studies, an attempt is made to define the event, individual or object that is the subject of the study as it is without making any effort to change or affect it.

Participants
Physical education teachers employed in various regions of Turkey, and pre-service physical education teachers studying at Balıkesir, Manisa Celal Bayar and Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Universities took part in the research during the 2020-2021 academic year (n=403). The research data were collected by way of an online questionnaire. Information related to the participants is presented in When the information about the participants in Table 2 is examined, it is seen that 28.8% (n=116) of the participants were female, while 71.2% (n=287) were male. Among the pre-service physical education teachers, 53.3% (n=73) were studying in first grade, while 46.7% (n=64) were studying in fourth grade. As for the in-service physical education teachers, 46.6% (n=124) were employed at secondary school level, while 53.4% (n=142) were employed at high school level. When the teachers' years of professional seniority are examined, it is seen that 37.2% (n=99) had 1-10 years, 28.9% (n=77) had 11-20 years, and 33.8% (n=90) had over 20 years of professional experience.
According to regions of employment, 12.4% (n=33) of teachers worked in the Mediterranean region, 16.9% (n=45) were employed in Eastern Anatolia, 26.7% (n=71) worked in the Aegean region, 14.7% (n=39) served in Southeastern Anatolia, 11.7% (n=31) were employed in Inner Anatolia, and 17.7% (n=47) worked in the Marmara region. On the other hand, there were no physical education teachers participating in the research who worked in the Black Sea region. Among the participants of the research, 66% (n=266) consisted of in-service physical education teachers and 34% (n=137) comprised pre-service physical education teachers.

Scale of Teachers' Levels of Belief in Education
The "Scale of Teachers' Levels of Belief in Education" developed by Akın and Yıldırım (2015) was used to examine the in-service physical education teachers' and pre-service physical education teachers' levels of belief in education. In the scale, not only have goals contained in the legislation been included, but also, behaviours expected to be fostered in individuals by education in a contemporary sense in the literature have been converted into statements. The scale consists of four subdimensions, namely "socialisation", "individual differences", "all-round development" and "preparation for upper education", and a total of 25 items. It is stated that the four subdimensions explain 65.9% of the total variance. For each item and subdimension, the teachers' beliefs are scored according to the extent to which the goal included in the relevant dimension of education is achieved.
For example, the statement "I believe that positive personality characteristics are fostered in students" is included in the "socialisation" subdimension, the statement "I believe that equality of opportunity is provided to students" is placed in the "individual differences" subdimension, the statement "I believe that students are each raised as physically healthy individuals" is included in the "all-round development" subdimension, while the statement "I believe that students are prepared in the best way for upper education" is placed in the "preparation for upper education" subdimension. Participants are required to respond to the questionnaire items on a scale ranging from (1)

Data Analysis
The data obtained within the scope of the research were analysed using the SPSS 26 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software program. In the study, the data set was examined using ±2 skewness and kurtosis values (George & Mallery, 2010) to determine whether or not it showed normal distribution for parametric tests, and it was decided that the data set did not deviate excessively from normal. Homogeneity of the data set was examined with Levene's test, and it was found that the variances for the groups were homogeneous. For comparison of levels of belief in education according to participants' status (in-service teacher-pre-service teacher) and according to the pre-service teachers' grade levels, independent samples t-test was used. For comparing levels of belief in education depending on the physical education teachers' professional seniority, one-way analysis of variance was utilised. When differences were found between groups, Scheffé's test was used to determine the source of the difference. In addition, Cohen's d value was calculated for independent samples t-test results to determine the size of the detected difference. In the one-way analysis of variance, the effect size of the difference was determined by means of eta-square (η2) calculation. The significance level was set at p<0.05 in the analyses.

Results
This section includes descriptive statistics regarding the participants' levels of belief in education and findings related to whether or not the in-service physical education teachers' and preservice physical education teachers' levels of belief in education differed. When the findings included in Table 3   The findings in  Examination of the participants' levels of belief in education in Table 5   According to the results of Scheffé's test, which was performed to determine between which groups there were differences, it was revealed that physical education teachers with 1-10 years of professional experience had stronger beliefs that the goals of education were achieved with regard to socialisation, individual differences, all-round development and preparation for upper education than teachers with 20 or more years of professional experience; whereas teachers with 11-20 years of professional experience had stronger beliefs that the goals of education were achieved in terms of all-round development and preparation for upper education than teachers with 20 or more years of professional experience. Moreover, it was found that physical education teachers with 1-10 years of professional experience had higher levels of belief that the general goals of education were achieved than teachers with 20 or more years of professional experience.

Participants' Levels of Belief in Education in General
In this study, it was found that in-service physical education teachers and pre-service physical education teachers partially/moderately believed that the general goals of education were achieved (Table 3). Moreover, it was found that the participants believed that the goals of education related to socialisation were achieved the most, while they believed that the goals of education related to individual differences were achieved the least. Accordingly, it can be said that both the in-service physical education teachers and the pre-service physical education teachers believed that through education, positive personality characteristics were fostered in students, students were made into happy individuals, and students were raised as citizens who benefit society relatively more. On the other hand, when students' individual differences in education are considered, it can be stated that the participants believed that an education suited to students' abilities was given and that equality of opportunity was provided in education relatively less. In the results of the studies carried out on teachers by Argon and Cicioğlu (2017), Ergün and Argon (2017) and Nacar (2019), it was determined that in general, teachers believed that the aims of education were achieved at a low level. On the other hand, as in this research, in the studies conducted by Gün (2017) and Kabakaş (2019), it was found that teachers' levels of belief in education were partial/moderate. According to the results of studies carried out with the participation of teachers from different branches, it is seen that similar to the results obtained in this study, teachers believed less that the goals of education related to individual differences were achieved (Ergün & Argon, 2017;Gün, 2017;Kabakaş, 2019;Nacar, 2019;Yıldırım & Akın, 2017). It is stated that a stereotyping approach subsists in today's education conception by ignoring students' individual differences and their age-related developmental characteristics and needs (Yapıcı, 2005). Each individual who enters the education system also brings the accompanying differences into the education environment. The aim of education is to facilitate all-round development in these individuals according to their own individual qualities. The convergence of various differences that exist among students in a class can cause various problems in the education environment (Ocak & Olur, 2018). As a result of a study examining teachers' views related to equality of opportunity in the Turkish education system, it was revealed that the majority of teachers were of the view that equality of opportunity was not provided in education. In the study, problems emerged such as regional differences, families' financial situation, differences in schools' physical structure and equipment, insufficient numbers of teachers, differences between private schools and state schools, the fact that girls did not receive the required education, a low schooling rate, insufficient income set aside for education, and inadequate numbers of classrooms (Polat & Boydak Özden, 2020). In a study by Kutlu Abu et al. (2016), pre-service teachers reported that among the features they wished to exist in the education system was guidance of students in line with their interests and abilities. In the current curricula in Turkey (MoNE, 2018), although emphasis is placed on matters such as the need to consider the fact that students have individual differences, the inappropriateness of using a standardised measurement and evaluation method, and the need to take account of students' age levels, readiness, interests and expectations, examples of the most important factors preventing these from being put into practice can be given as the fact that classes are still crowded in schools in certain regions, the fact that the education system has become exam-centred, an education conception that is predominantly based on memorisation, and the consecration of obtaining high marks in standardised exams that are focused only on cognitive measurement rather than allround development. All these reasons constitute some of the obstacles preventing the realisation of goals related to individual differences in education.

According to their Grade Level
In this study, although it was determined that pre-service physical education teachers studying in the final grade believed more strongly that the goals of education were achieved when compared with first-grade pre-service teachers, the difference was significant only in the socialisation subdimension. In other words, it can be said that in the study, final-grade pre-service teachers had stronger beliefs than first-grade pre-service teachers that the goals of education related to socialisation were achieved. This result obtained in favour of final-grade pre-service teachers is a desired situation.
Considering the fact that today's pre-service teachers will be the physical education teachers of tomorrow, it can be expected that pre-service teachers who believe that the aims of education are realised, and in the importance of their profession and the work that they do, will devote themselves more to the profession, have higher motivation and make more effort towards achieving the goals of the curriculum in the future. In the literature, pre-service teachers' levels of belief in education have not been previously examined. For this reason, there is a need for further study in order to make an interpretation of this issue. Furthermore, it is considered important to utilise research findings in which views about the education system in terms of its relationship with belief in education are examined. In a study by Öztürk Çalıkoğlu and Başar (2019) named "Prospective Teachers' Metaphorical Perceptions Regarding Turkish Education System", it was reported that in general, prospective teachers mostly produced negative metaphors related to the education system. In the study, while pre-service teachers stated that education was a difficult process full of obstacles and requiring effort, they also criticised the fact that not everyone was happy due to the exam-focused and competition-based system and its contribution to individuals. Therefore, it was stated that the education system did not satisfy individuals' expectations and needs. As one of the reasons preventing the goals of education from being realised, the pre-service teachers stated the changes that were frequently made in education policies, which had a negative effect on the continuity of the education system. In another study in which perceptions of the Turkish education system were examined by way of metaphors, Kasapoğlu (2016) reported that a significant percentage of pre-service teachers perceived the Turkish education system as a frequently changing, irregular (complicated) structure. In a study by Yeşil and Şahan (2015), prospective teachers stated that the most important problems experienced in the education system stemmed principally from teachers and from deficiencies and errors in education planning. It was revealed that for solving the most important problems experienced in the education system, they primarily recommended that revisions should be made in relation to the curriculum and education planning.

Comparison of In-Service Physical Education Teachers' and Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers' Levels of Belief in Education
According to another finding obtained in the study, pre-service physical education teachers had stronger beliefs than in-service physical education teachers that the goals of education were achieved in terms of socialisation, individual differences and all-round development, as well as with regard to education in general. On the other hand, no difference was found in participants' beliefs that the goals of education were achieved in terms of preparation for upper education. In the literature, no study has been conducted in which in-service teachers' and pre-service teachers' levels of belief in education are compared. In this respect, the present study fills a gap in the related literature. Another study, which is thought to be related to this research, was conducted by Aslan (2020) and the subject of "professional belief" was discussed. In the research, as a result of the focus group interview with pre-service teachers who have low teaching profession belief, the disappointment caused by the department, insufficient salary, counting on the spot, negative perception towards physical education teachers in the society, working conditions, insufficient field education, and the difficulty of being appointed to the teaching profession negatively affect professional belief has been reported. On the other hand, as a result of the focus group meeting with pre-service teachers with high level teaching profession beliefs, the themes of my dream job, love working with children, being beneficial for the society, being intertwined with sports and effect of physical education teacher has emerged as the themes that positively affect belief. In our study, there may be more than one factor that causes the differences in the beliefs of in-service and pre-service teachers. In particular, the theory-based preservice education conception that has increased in recent years, and the fact that the theoretical knowledge acquired in courses is not supported with practical knowledge, prevents pre-service teachers from establishing a connection between theory and practice. Many prospective teachers learn the real meaning of teaching in their career years. In the study carried out by Uğraş et al. (2019) with physical education teachers who were just starting their careers, they drew attention to the problem of compatibility between the physical education and sport teaching undergraduate curriculum and the conditions of National Education. In the study, it was reported that the physical education teachers considered that prior to service, they had not received training in accordance with school conditions.
A similar emphasis was made by Korkmaz et al. (2004). The researchers stated that however effective pre-service teacher training was, when beginning the profession, teachers would face the difficulties of the world. The findings of the study conducted by Kozikoğlu and Senemoğlu (2018) are such as to support this. Consequently, when teacher candidates begin their careers, they experience important problems in the first years both in school and out of school. In the study, the difficult situations most often encountered by teachers in the first years emerged as classroom management, relations with parents, relations with the community, adaptation to the physical environment, etc. Based on these findings, it is thought that there is a need for further studies conducted with pre-service teachers to determine the possible reasons why pre-service physical education teachers believed more strongly than in-service physical education teachers that the goals of education were achieved.

Comparison of Physical Education Teachers' Levels of Belief in Education According to their Professional Seniority.
Another finding made in this study was that teachers' levels of belief in education differed according to their professional experience. In the study, it was found that that physical education teachers with 1-10 years of professional experience had stronger beliefs that the goals of education were achieved compared with teachers with 20 or more years of professional experience in terms of both the subdimensions and regarding education in general. Furthermore, it was revealed that teachers with 11-20 years of professional experience had stronger beliefs that the goals of education were achieved in comparison to teachers with 20 or more years of professional experience in terms of goals related to all-round development and preparation for upper education. Accordingly, it can be said that professional seniority is an important factor related to belief in education. The fact that as teachers' professional seniority increased, their levels of belief in education decreased, in other words, that experienced teachers had lower beliefs that the aims of education were realised, is an issue that needs to be particularly emphasised. One interpretation of this finding is the fact that experienced physical education teachers may also be experiencing professional burnout and alienation. In a study by the Turkish Education Association (2014), it was reported that a section comprising half of the teachers stated that the longer they worked as teachers, the more their beliefs in the prestige of their profession decreased. In the literature, the findings of studies conducted with teachers from different branches show both similarities and differences with the findings obtained in this study. In Nacar's (2019) study, it was also determined that experienced teachers with longer periods of service in the profession believed to a lesser extent that the goals of education related to preparation for upper education were achieved when compared to teachers with 1-5 years of experience. On the other hand, studies by Gün (2017) and Kabakaş (2019), it was reported that teachers' levels of belief in education did not differ depending on their lengths of professional service. In contrast to the results of this  Yıldırım and Akın (2017), it was found that compared to teachers with 11-15 and 16-20 years of experience, teachers with over 20 years of experience had stronger beliefs that the goals of education regarding all-round development were achieved. Furthermore, in the same study, it was found that teachers with over 20 years of experience believed more than other teachers that by means of education, individuals were prepared for upper education. These studies, which were made previously in the literature, were conducted with the participation of pre-service teachers from different branches. Therefore, it is thought that one of the main sources of the conflicting results stems from the discipline in which the teachers were employed. Due to the structure and nature of physical education and sport courses, it may be necessary to deal with them differently from other courses. The teaching-learning environment, the materials used in lessons, the clothes worn by teachers and students, and similar factors can be given as examples of characteristics that distinguish the subject of physical education and sport from other subjects (Demirhan et al., 2014). In a study by Gençay (2007) examining physical education teachers' professional burnout and job satisfaction, it was reported that teachers who were optimistic about their future careers had higher levels of job satisfaction, while those who were pessimistic about their future careers had higher levels of emotional burnout. Discussing an important problem in modern physical education courses, Temel et al. (2013) stated that due to academic concerns created by the desire to enter a good university, the importance of physical education and sport courses in high schools was decreasing.
The researchers argued that this situation could lead to feelings of isolation and insignificance experienced in physical education teachers. In another study carried out by Pehlevan et al. (2019), which examined the extent to which the acquisitions included in the secondary school physical education and sport curriculum were realised according to the views of graduate students, a section comprising about half of the participants stated that the skills of speaking Turkish correctly, effectively and eloquently, and of using information technology were not acquired, whereas general and specific movement knowledge and skills, and personal development and healthy living skills and values were acquired. The graduate participants in the study reported that in general, the degree of realisation of the acquisitions included in the curriculum was low.

Conclusion and Recommendations
In this study, it was determined that in-service teachers and pre-service teachers of physical education partially believed that the goals of education in general were achieved, and that they believed that the goals of education related to socialisation and all-round development were achieved more than they believed that the goals of education related to individual differences were achieved. In addition, it was found that final-year pre-service teachers believed in education more than first-year pre-service teachers, and that pre-service teachers believed in education more than in-service teachers.
Lastly, it was determined that teachers' professional seniority was an important factor affecting their levels of belief in education and that experienced teachers believed in education to a lesser extent.
This study, which was carried out with the participation of in-service and pre-service teachers of physical education, shows similarities and differences with previous studies. Moreover, in terms of the participant group, this study has filled the gap that existed in the literature. However, in order to obtain more in-depth information, the number of studies related to belief in education in the field of physical education should be increased.
This study, and previous studies on the subject of teachers' levels of belief in education, were conducted with a quantitative research design. However, with the aim of obtaining more in-depth information related to the reasons why in-service teachers' and/or pre-service teachers' levels of belief in education are partial or low, and regarding solution suggestions for preventing this situation, qualitative and mixed design studies should be conducted. Furthermore, in future studies, correlational design studies that investigate the relationship of teachers' levels of belief in education with their levels of organisational commitment, professional burnout, motivation and alienation, and with their perceptions towards the profession, will contribute to better understanding of the phenomenon of belief in education.