Changes in students’ anxieties and concerns after their first and second teaching practices

Abstract

Summary Research has shown teaching practice to be a cause of anxiety and concern for physical education students. Different levels and causes of anxiety and concern have been found. This may be due, at least in part, to different instruments being used to measure anxiety and/or concern and the anxiety and/or concern being measured at different times during the students’ development as teachers and at different times during the teaching practice. The purpose of this study was to look at levels and causes of anxiety and concern for physical education students on teaching practice, particularly to see if these changed over time as students gained experience of teaching. Secondary Bachelor of Education (BEd) physical education students were given a questionnaire at the end of their first and second teaching practices to determine changes in levels and causes of anxiety and concern. The questionnaire comprised two scales, the Student Teacher Anxiety Scale and the Teacher Concerns Questionnaire. Results showed that these students were moderately anxious and concerned on teaching practice, and the main cause of the anxiety and concern on both teaching practices was being observed, evaluated and assessed. However, there were some differences in the causes of anxiety and concern on the two teaching practices.