What is Performance-Avoidance Orientation

This study aims to determine the achievement goal orientation of prospective Turkish teachers in terms of department and gender variables. The research was a cross-sectional study with 335 prospective teachers studying nine different teaching programs. Achievement goal orientations scale was used as a data collection tool. Descriptive statistical methods, one-way ANOVA, Tukey, and independent groups t-test were used in data analysis. A significant difference was determined among female and male prospective teachers' learning goal orientation and performance-avoidance goal orientation. The average of prospective female teachers in learning goal orientation was higher, while the average of male teacher candidates was higher in the dimension of performance-avoidance goal orientation. The learning goal orientations of the prospective teachers show a significant difference between the science teaching and mathematics teaching departments. Accordingly, science teachers have higher scores.