The Relationship between Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Social Justice, Personal Sense of Uniqueness and Their Attitudes towards Refugees

This study aims at examining the variables that explain preservice teachers' attitudes towards refugees. This study investigates whether the perception of social justice, personal sense of uniqueness, and gender are predictors of attitudes towards refugees within this scope. Participants in this study were 221 preservice teachers studying at various universities in Turkey. The data were collected by applying the Attitudes towards Asylum-Seekers Scale, Social Justice Scale, and Personal Sense of Uniqueness Scale. Data analysis is carried out using stepwise regression analysis. The results showed that attitude towards refugees was positively predicted by the perception of social justice, negatively by a personal sense of uniqueness and gender (in favor of males). The findings are discussed in the context of changing teacher competencies and the responsibilities of teacher education institutions.