Abstract

• The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the attachment styles of student teachers and their contributing factors. Their contributing factors included coping styles, developmental tasks and life satisfaction. Participants were 701 student teachers (349 males and 352 females, from Yangon and Sagaing Universities of Education). They were conducted by survey method with survey questionnaires. In this study, four instruments were administered to the participants; attachment styles of questionnaire (ASQ) (Hazan and Shaver, 1987), problem-focused style of coping questionnaire (PF-SOC) (Heppner, Cook, Wright & Johnson, 1995), negotiation of developmental tasks questionnaire (NDT) (Lawrence et al., 2011), and satisfaction with life scale questionnaire (SWLS) (Prof. Ed Diener et al., 1993). In this research, descriptive statistics, independent sample t test, chi-square test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation and path analysis method were used. The result revealed that most of the student teachers were high in secure attachment style, reflective coping style and approach developmental tasks. The results of chi-square showed that there was significant difference in student teachers’ attachment styles, coping styles, and developmental task by gender, age, and university. ANOVA results by attachment styles and problem-focused styles of coping indicated that there was significant difference in student teachers’ life satisfaction. The result of t test revealed that there was significant difference in student teachers’ life satisfaction by developmental task at 0.01 level. Again, the secure attachment style was positively significantly related to reflective coping style, developmental task, and life satisfaction. Finally, the results revealed that the effects of secure attachment style as the most significant predictor of life satisfaction, followed by mediation factors such as reflective coping style and developmental task.