In this study, it is aimed to investigate the partial mediating effect of ego identity status and personality traits on general self-efficacy levels of physical education and sports teacher candidates. To do that, a model showing possible relationships between these variables was established and this model was tested by using structural equation modeling. The sample of the study consisted of 578 students in the freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior years in the Physical Education Sports Teaching Departments of universities Erciyes, Mehmet Akif, Dumlupinar, and Ahi Evran. The Socio-Demographic Information Form created by the researchers, General Self-Efficacy Scale adapted to Turkish by Aypay (2010), Ego Identity Status Scale adapted by Oskay (1998), and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire adapted to Turkish by Karancı et al. (2007) were used as the data collection tools. SPSS 22 program and Structural Equation Modeling/AMOS/Path Diagram program were used for data analysis. Firstly, the measurement models were tested and the proposed measurement model proved to be able to use to test the structural model. The structural model proposed based on the validated measurement models were then tested and verified. The fit indices of the model established in the study were found to be good and the coefficients obtained were found to be statistically significant. According to the results obtained about the structural model, it was found that there was a significant relationship between the general self-efficacy with ego identity status and personality traits, and that the ego identity status and personality traits predict the general self-efficacy in an advanced level.

As a result, it is thought that the general self-efficacy levels of the students will increase with the positive development of ego identity status and personality traits, and this increase will enable the students to increase their academic achievement and self-confidence, as well as will make them more active in the society.