TEACHING PRACTICE: A CORE EDUCATIONAL PLANNING ATTAINMENT FOR STUDENTS CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

This study was on teaching practice, a core educational planning attainment for students, challenges, and prospects. The purpose of the study was to find the perceptions of students about teaching practice and the challenges facing student–teachers during teaching practice exercises. The study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. The study employed a descriptive survey research design in which only existing variables were investigated without manipulating them. The targeted population for the study were students’ teachers, numbering a total of 188 from our five units of the Department of Science Education. The study employed simple random sampling to select participants. A total of 100 participants were randomly selected from Integrated Science Education, Mathematics Education, Physics Education, Chemistry Education, and Biology Education in the Faculty of Education, Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden. The instrument used for the collection of data for the study was a questionnaire tagged teaching practice questionnaire (TPQ). Mean scores, standard deviation, and t-tests were used for the analysis of the collected data. A mean score above 2.50 indicates high while a mean below 2.50 indicates low. In conclusion, teaching practice is in constant practice and is the foundation of teaching. Based on this, it was recommended, among others, that a proper orientation for student teachers should be carried out using efficient means of communication like seminars, workshops, conferences, and discussion before they go for teaching practice.