Abstract
Practicing teachers are partners in preparation of teacher trainees. However, little is known about their perceptions of the teacher trainees they receive every year in their schools. Ninety three practicing teachers from twenty schools participated in this study. The objectives were to find out the practicing teachers' perceptions of teacher trainees' behaviors and knowledge of subject content as well as teaching methods they use. Secondly, to find out how teacher trainees' relate to both teaching and non-teaching staff in the schools where they posted and to the students they teach. Thirdly, to assess teacher trainees' participation in extra-curricular activities and any other issues relating to their stay in the schools. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Results show that practicing teachers perceive teacher trainees as follows; they are fairly good regarding professional ethics, they dress well except some girls who dress poorly, the majority of teacher trainees do not exhibit masterly of the subject matter in their respective subjects and most of them participate in school activities if assigned to do that. Researchers recommend that teacher trainees need more subject matter guidance from their subject lecturers and support from the subject teachers in schools where they do school practice. The idea of team work should be instilled in teacher trainees so that they support one another in schools where they practice from. The School of Education should intensify its relationship with practicing teachers in the process of preparing teachers. The course on professional ethics for teachers should be more practical so that the teacher trainees are properly guided before they graduate.
Highlights
The main purpose for school practice is to provide opportunities to teacher trainees to put in practice pedagogical theories and skills while in schools
When Practicing teachers were asked to comment on teacher trainees subject content, 97% of the participants in the study believed the teacher trainees have adequate knowledge of the subject content “They handle content appropriately especially in their areas of specialization” others said, “ they have the content, they prepare little content and cover little in terms of topics in the syllabus”
These observations are confirmed by one of the administrators who pointed out that “some trainees are extremely excellent in the way they do their work as if they were regular teachers” These findings reveal that School of Education equip teacher trainees with adequate and appropriate content and with pedagogical skills to deliver the content to learners
Summary
The main purpose for school practice is to provide opportunities to teacher trainees to put in practice pedagogical theories and skills while in schools. By actively engaging teacher trainees in school situations, they will increase their professional knowledge and enhance their learning. It is hoped teacher trainees will discover their own intellectual resources and to make them better able to work in changing contexts, Niemi and Jakku – Sihvonen [2]. Teacher trainees learn how to cooperate with other teachers, parents and other stakeholders of the society as a whole. These teacher trainees’ learning is guided and supervised by University lecturers and local school teachers. The purpose of this study is to identify and explain contribution of /practicing teachers in the preparation of teacher trainees in training programme at the School of Education
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