Abstract
A teaching practicum is a course of study in which pre-service teachers get to experience actual teaching in real classrooms. Mentor teachers who are assigned to mentor and supervise pre-service teachers have many important roles to play in the practicum experience, yet no extensive research has been conducted on these roles. This study sought to determine the roles played by mentor teachers in pre-service teachers’ teaching practicum. Using an explanatory, sequential, mixed-methods research design pertaining to the Malaysian context, we recruited 385 pre-service teachers who had attended teaching practicum and 6 mentor teachers who had previously mentored pre-service teachers. Online questionnaires and telephone interviews were used sequentially. Findings showed that mentor teachers played moderate roles in mentoring pre-service teachers; mentor teachers perceived themselves to play many roles yet regarded certain roles as unnecessary and unimportant. Universities, secondary schools, and the Malaysian Ministry of Education must address the importance of producing quality teachers by intervening as early as pre-service teachers’ teaching practicum.
Highlights
Pre-service teachers attend teaching practicum to bridge the gap between theories and knowledge obtained in lectures and actual classroom teaching (Gan, 2013; Melor et al, 2010)
More attention should be given to the teaching practicum, as it is an opportunity for pre-service teachers to receive guidance to further master the needed concepts, skills, and tools of the teaching profession before completing their programs (Gan, 2013; Malaysian Qualifications Agency, 2014; Mohd et al, 2014)
To provide a comprehensive overview on the state of mentoring in Malaysia, we recruited 385 pre-service teachers to determine their perceptions on the roles mentor teachers had played in their teaching practicum; we recruited six mentor teachers to explore their perceptions of the roles they had played when they were mentoring pre-service teachers
Summary
Pre-service teachers attend teaching practicum to bridge the gap between theories and knowledge obtained in lectures and actual classroom teaching (Gan, 2013; Melor et al, 2010). Demand for quality teachers has always been high around the world, including in Malaysia where teachers, regardless of ethnicities, backgrounds, and specializations, must uphold and familiarize themselves with the aspirations listed in the Malaysian National Education Philosophy (Goh & Blake, 2015; Tee et al, 2015) To meet this demand, more attention should be given to pre-service teachers in teacher education programs. Findings from these research papers can be summarized into four themes related to the challenges and concerns pre-service teachers frequently face: classroom management, environment, pedagogical, and other These challenges and concerns affected pre-service teachers professionally and psychosocially throughout their teaching practicum, and when they experienced prolonged and dreadful negativities in their teaching practicum, they were much more likely to quit the profession upon completing their elt.ccsenet.org
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