Teaching Practicum Experience Research Articles

Preservice physical education teachers’ perceptions of initial teacher education

The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice physical education teachers’ perceptions of initial teacher education and its impact on their professional lives and teachers’ identities at the end of their school placement. It was also the aim of this study to identify school placement contributing factors and key actors in the formation of professional identities. The sample was composed of 272 preservice teachers in their final year of the master's in teaching physical education at a Portuguese university. We collected data through a questionnaire that included closed- and open-ended questions regarding six aspects of the teaching profession and initial teacher education: agents of training; components of teacher education; roles of teachers; motivation for teaching; conceptions of teaching and learning; and changes experienced during this period. Quantitative data were statistically analysed for measures of central tendency, and the responses to the open-ended question were analysed through thematic content analysis. The findings revealed: that preservice teachers considered the cooperating teacher to be the most important agent of training; that the teaching practicum experience was the most important component of teacher education; that delivering universal values was an essential role of teachers; that they had an intrinsic motivation for teaching; that they perceived a constructivist approach to teaching; and that the most meaningful change they experienced during their education was an improvement in soft skills. With the results, we conclude that professional socialisation influenced how the participants performed as teachers.

Neurodivergent Students in English Language Lessons: Reflections at the Teaching Practicum

The inclusion of neurodivergent learners in English language lessons has gained significant attention to promote equitable and effective learning environments for all students. This article presents reflections stemming from my role as a mentor in an English language practicum. It is within this context, supporting student-teachers, that I have helped to develop lessons designed to embrace autism as a unique neurological diversity within the realm of English Language Teaching. Employing narrative inquiry as a research methodology, the transition from instrumental to humanizing perspectives regarding lesson planning is examined providing insights into meaningful practices for teacher education. The narratives inspected reveal the potential to contest normative curricula perpetuating oppression, silencing, and marginalization. Insights into challenges, opportunities, and meaningful practices associated with neurodiversity inclusion in English language teaching (ELT) settings are provided, along with implications for teacher education. The study underscores the adaptability of lesson planning to address the diverse needs of neurodivergent students and highlights how teaching practicum experiences enhance student-teachers’ abilities to cultivate inclusive and effective learning environments.

Navigating Teaching Practicum in the Real Classroom: Insights from ESL Teaching Practicum Experiences

Teaching practicum is one of the compulsory courses that pre-service ESL teachers have to accomplish prior to the completion of their study. Under the lens of experiential learning theory, this study aims to find out pre-service English teachers’ challenges of teaching practicum and how they overcome them. Interviews were used as instruments in this multiple case study, focusing on three pre-service English teachers who participated in the AJARMI program during the 2022–2023 academic year. The findings of this study were analyzed using thematic analysis. The PSETs faced challenges related to students' behaviour, preparation of instructional materials, and mentoring. They handled them with organizing lessons, acting as an assertive teacher, devising a backup plan, and adapting to the school system. The implications of this study suggest that teacher education programs should provide more comprehensive training on classroom management, instructional material preparation, and effective mentoring strategies to better prepare pre-service teachers for the realities of the classroom.

교수학습에 관한 전통주의와 구성주의 접근으로 살펴본 예비 화학교사의 신념 탐색

This study explored pre-service chemistry teachers’ beliefs related to constructivist and traditional approaches to teaching and learning. In addition, this was examined focusing on 3rd and 4th graders who experienced teaching practicum and 1st and 2nd graders who did not experience teaching practicum. To this end, items developed by Woolley, Benjamin, & Woolley (2004) for the assessment of teaching and learning beliefs were utilized, with 75 pre-service chemistry teachers participating in the survey. An exploratory factor analysis identified six items related to traditional educational views and five items related to constructivist views for belief analysis. Differences between these educational views were compared using paired sample t-tests, and differences in beliefs across groups and items were compared using ANOVA. Overall, the group with teaching practicum experience showed statistically higher beliefs in constructivist educational views, whereas the group without experience showed no statistical difference. A detailed items analysis revealed higher beliefs in traditional education views in practices of written assessments and structured discussion classes. In the constructivist view, beliefs were statistically lower in informal student evaluations. Group analysis showed statistically higher beliefs in constructivist educational views among those with teaching practicum experience compared to those without. This suggests the value of teaching practicum experience in enhancing pre-service teachers’ beliefs in constructivist education.

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching practicum: Problems and suggestions for solutions

Although studies on the teaching practicum experiences of pre-service English teachers have tried to identify some problems and offer solutions, research addressing the issue from the perspectives of all stakeholders by examining both the expectations of pre-service teachers and the potential problems they face in this process is rather limited. In this regard, as part of a larger project, this session aims to uncover prospective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ expectations and problems during the practicum process based on the opinions of various stakeholders. 160 pre-service teachers studying in the final year of an English language teacher education program, 22 teacher educators, and 39 English teachers supervising those teacher candidates during the practicum process participated in the study. Data came from two sources: reflective reports requested from all participants of the study in the fourth and eighth weeks of the 12-week practicum process and the focus group interviews conducted with five pre-service teachers, five university supervisors, and five cooperating teachers. The analyses documented problems related to pre-service teachers, their teaching skills, classroom management, pupils, teaching procedures, and school context. Maximizing practice opportunities in quantity and quality and higher levels of communication and interaction among the stakeholders were the main suggestions as solutions to problems. These recommendations and some suggestions for future research will potentially increase the quality and effectiveness of the practicum process.

Revealing the potential of ChatGPT for English language teaching: EFL preservice teachers’ teaching practicum experience

The potential of ChatGPT as a novel Artificial Intelligence (henceforth, AI)-powered language model for language instruction, particularly for preservice teachers (henceforth, PSTs), remains unclear since earlier studies mainly provided theoretical concepts that have not yet been empirically verified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to unleash the potential of ChatGPT for English language teaching and professional development. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach. The participants in this study were eight preservice English as a foreign language (henceforth, EFL) teachers at an Indonesian public university who were completing teaching practicums. Combining online and offline meetings, this study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data, and the results show that the PSTs used ChatGPT for four main purposes (innovative teaching content creation and presentation, collaborative instructional strategies, development of effective assessments, and language proficiency improvement) to improve their teaching techniques during the teaching practicums. The results also suggest that ChatGPT could provide comprehensive and relevant information. Still, at some points, it also has some drawbacks regarding the quality and accuracy of the information. Although ChatGPT has several disadvantages, the participants had a positive view of ChatGPT’s value to novice teachers’ professional growth. This study offers three implications for improving English language teaching and preservice teacher professional development.

Preservice teachers’ pedagogical competence and transformation learning in a dual online-offline teaching practicum

The amount of research discussing preservice teachers’ (PSTs) critical reflection on teaching practicum in transformative learning (TL) within teacher education programs is evident. However, research investigating PSTs’ pedagogical competence (PC) and TL through the lens of critical reflection on Indonesian EFL teaching practicum settings is limited. The study aimed to investigate what PSTs learned from critical reflection on a dual online-offline teaching practicum for developing PC and how they performed TL. Ten PSTs engaged in a two-month teaching practicum experience within the English teacher education preparation program of a state university in Central Kalimantan Indonesia were purposely sampled in this case study. Multiple data were garnered through reflective journals and focus group interviews. Data were analyzed deductively and thematically to explore prominent themes. The results shed some light on lessons learned encompassing the instructional practices for PSTs’ PC development and their improved PC. PSTs performed TL by boosting students’ ability in changing mindsets and thinking habits in learning and making them aware of learning and becoming better learners. The research implication provides empirical evidence pertaining to how critical reflection on the dual online-offline teaching practicum contributes to PSTs’ PC development and TL performance for professional development.

Teaching Practicum: Learning Journey Platform for Promoting Pre-Service Teachers’ Instructional Skills

Teaching practicum provides an opportunity for pre-service teachers to enhance their teaching skills. This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design method to investigate the role of teaching practice in enhancing the instructional skills of pre-service English teachers at the elementary school level. Three pre-service English teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from the participants through reflections on their teaching practicum experiences. The findings indicated that the pre-service teachers initially experienced strong emotions and assumptions when they began teaching, yet the quality of their teaching improved during the practice. Teaching practicum was further identified as an effective means to enhance the teaching skills of pre-service English teachers.

Cross-Cultural Experiences in Teacher Education: Indonesian Pre-Service English Teachers' Perspectives on International Teaching Practicum

This study addresses a significant gap in current literature concerning the international teaching practicum experiences of Asian pre-service teachers specializing in English education. Focusing on three Indonesian pre-service teachers, the research explores their experiences during international practicum in the Czech Republic, Thailand, and Malaysia. Methodologically, the study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews, along with the analysis of narrative journals and artifacts from the International Teaching Practicum (ITP) program, following the thematic analysis approach by Braun and Clarke (2006). This involved meticulous examination of data, coding, and thematic classification to derive meaningful interpretations. Key findings highlight the challenges faced by participants, including language barriers and cultural adaptation. Despite these challenges, participants reported substantial growth in confidence and self-assurance, fostered by active participation in teaching and learning activities. Significantly, the practicum provided valuable insights into multicultural education, deepening the participants' understanding of different teaching methodologies, the role of teachers, and the nuances of local educational systems. The implications of this study are far-reaching, particularly in enhancing multicultural competence in teacher education. By shedding light on the under-researched area of international teaching practicum involving Asian contexts, the study contributes essential insights into the evolving landscape of global teacher education.

Searching for Enabling and Constraining Arrangements for Better Teaching Practices: EFL Teachers’ Narratives

Teachers’ teaching practices shape and are shaped by the arrangements in their site of practice. Such arrangements, consisting of the (cultural-discursive) “sayings”, (material-economic) “doings”, and (social-political) “relatings” of the actors involved in and the environment of the practice site, can be defined as “Practice Architectures” (Kemmis, 2019). The practice site that this study focuses on is the teaching practicum activity within a three-month in-service teacher professional education program held jointly by the Indonesian Government and a Higher Education Institution (HEI) (Program Profesi Guru Dalam Jabatan/PPG). Using the framework of Practice Architectures, the study aims to identify the arrangements that occurred and/or were provided by the program in enabling or constraining the program’s standard teaching practicum practices. Through thematic analyses of the teachers’ narratives of their teaching practicum experiences, the results show that these arrangements shaped teachers’ practices in teaching practicum, particularly in the design of the PPG program and the requirements of the assessments. The findings call for the government and HEIs to these arrangements in designing teacher professional development programs, such as the PPG program, to improve future teaching practicum experiences in the program that enable standardised and better teaching practices.

A Narrative Inquiry of Two English Teachers’ Identity Construction

Teacher identity is one of the essential aspects influencing the form and quality of educational processes. The present study examines the narratives of one of the writers, Devia, and an English teacher, Trisa, throughout their learning and teaching experiences and the process that were involved as they negotiated their identities as teachers. The data were collected from an autobiographical narrative of Devia as an English teacher, as well as intensive life-history interviews with Trisa. Analysis of the narratives and interview data led to four major themes: inspiring figures, teaching practicum experiences, becoming an English teacher, and pursuing a postgraduate study. The findings revealed that Devia’s and Trisa’s engagement in the practices and activities of learning and teaching shaped their teacher identity constructions. Keywords: narrative inquiry, teacher identity, teacher identity construction

A Systematic Review of the Practicum Experience in Preservice Teacher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, preservice teachers in all education programmes have been affected by the closure of schools. This has forced a shift from in-school preservice teaching experience to an online preservice teaching approach. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of research on teaching practicum experience during the COVID-19 pandemic through a systematic review. Out of 51 initially identified publications between March 2020 and December 2020, 26 articles were included for the final synthesis in terms of teaching strategies, methods used for assessing preservice teachers, digital technology tools and challenges that faculties and preservice teachers faced. The results indicate that the most commonly used teaching strategies used in the practicum were demonstration in synchronous sessions, observation/helping associate teachers, micro-teaching, and e-coaching/mentoring. Additionally, the results demonstrated that the main use of digital technology tools was for communication, instruction, collaboration and e-coaching. Additionally, the results present four methods of assessment that education programmes followed: (1) grading preservice teachers’ performance in the first weeks of the spring semester; (2) evaluating students’ recorded lessons; (3) evaluating prepared virtual classroom presentation; and (4) grading online portfolios. Moreover, the results indicate that faculties and preservice teachers have faced numerous challenges such as a lack of real teaching experience, limited experience in the use of information and communications technology (ICT), and a lack of technological infrastructure, access and support. The conclusions reflect on the importance of including technology integration and teaching and learning in the online environment in courses offered by teacher education programmes, equity issues for students, and the need to strengthen preservice teachers’ beliefs in their capacity to deal with the transition to distance modes of education in times of crisis.

A Case Study of the Impacts of Teaching Practicum on the Self-Efficacy among Pre-service English Teachers

Teachers’ self-efficacy refers to the subjective evaluation and cognition of teachers on whether they can successfully achieve their teaching aims in specific teaching situations, including effectively complete teaching tasks, and promote the improvement of students’ learning compacity as well as their adherence to teaching beliefs. Teachers with elevated sense of self-efficacy are more likely to be conscientious about their students’ education. Teaching practicum is a crucial part of pre-service English teacher education, which is also deemed to be helpful in improving pre-service teachers’ eligibility to be qualified teachers. For pre-service English teachers, their teaching practicum experience is very vital to form and impact their self-efficacy. The past studies mainly focused on the effects of in-service teachers’ self-efficacy on language levels and teaching ability, this study takes pre-service English teachers as the research participants, through the ways of questionnaire and interview to collect the data and tries to figure out how to improve pre-service English teachers’ self-efficacy during the teaching practicum.

Online teaching practicum procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish EFL context

This case study aimed to reveal the reflections of pre-service English teachers on online teaching practicum procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish EFL context. There were 20 participants, and the data were gathered through an online interview form. The interview items focused on course requirements, observation tasks, mentor-supervisor feedback, and benefits and challenges of online teaching procedures. The gathered data were subjected to summative content analysis and the results indicated that although the participants mentioned various professional gains, the challenges of online teaching practicum experiences outweighed its benefits. In light of the findings, it can be claimed that relevant stakeholders can be offered training about online teaching practices, and the existing infrastructure can be improved in the form of hybrid settings in order to facilitate transition to online educational platforms and to improve university-school collaboration in the future.

예비교사의 교육실습 경험에 대한 반성과 과제

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to reflect on the teaching practicum experiences of Koreanpre-service teachers in light of Dewey's concept of an experience, and present tasks for the developmentof teaching practicum experiences in the future.
 Methods: In order to achieve the research purpose, a review of previous studies dealing with theeducational practicum experiences of pre-service teachers was conducted, and the findings were thenanalyzed the concept of ‘an experience’ in Dewey's empirical theory. Through the synthesis the experiencesof the pre-service teachers were reflected upon and tasks were concidered for them.
 Results: When considering Dewey's concept of an experience, it was reflected that the educationpracticum experience of Korean pre-service teachers was very fragmented, passive, and incomplete. As a result, three tasks were presented for the pre-service teacher's education practicum experienceto become an experience : 1) Reorganizing the curriculum so that pre-service teachers can integratetheir self and reality based on the continuity of experience, 2) Securing education practicum time sothat incomplete experiences can fully become a complete an experience 3) Transitioning from tutor-centered education to an inquiry-oriented education practicum so that the experience of pre-serviceteachers can become an intellectual experience through active, intellectual, and creative thinking.
 Conclusion: This study revealed the meaning of the experience that pre-service teachers should performand presented tasks for it. This study is meaningful in that it attempted a theoretical approach, unlikephenomenological studies that analyzed pre-service teachers' educational practicum experiences.

Departure from Generic to Individualised Student Support: A Case of ODeL Teaching Practicum Experiences at Mzuzu University in Malawi

Departure from Generic to Individualised Student Support: A Case of ODeL Teaching Practicum Experiences at Mzuzu University in Malawi

Upgrading the Potential with Competency-Based Learning Management Innovation Integration with Work to Enhance Students’ Ability in Practice Teaching Professional Experience

Purposes of the study are: (1) to develop novel approaches to competency-based learning management that are combined with activities that improve the competences of students in practice teaching professional experience and (2) to examine the outcomes of the integration of efforts to improve the competency of students in practice teaching professional experience with the transfer of competency-based learning management innovation. The sample group consisted of 50 members of the Faculty of Education of Phetchabun Rajabhat University in Thailand. Third-year-level pre-service student teaching practicum experience during the second semester of the academic year 2022 is achieved by a straightforward lottery draw. The study's methodology is research and development, and its tools include knowledge examinations, assessments for creating learning management systems, and interviews. Developing innovative learning management strategies based on competency-based work was discovered to be linked with curriculum analysis, student analysis, and competency-based learning management systems, which is the most suited. The research findings sparked innovation in competency-based learning management that was integrated with the workplace; students who had knowledge and skills of creating a competency-based learning management plan that was connected with their work were deemed to have practiced teaching professionally, after learning more than the required amount, a competency-based learning management system that is connected with work is created. Before embracing the innovation of competency-based learning management connected with work, teachers should look at how to use learning management plans to manage teaching and learning in a straight line while leveraging the research findings, promoting the learning management model should take the position of instructors who are in charge of organizing various learning activities to reach the desired goal. Keywords: upgrading the potential, competency-based learning management innovation integration, enhancing students’ ability. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55463/hkjss.issn.1021-3619.60.79

교육실습이 초등교사 성장에 부여하는 의미

Purpose: This study explored the meaning of Teaching Practicum experience on the growth of elementary school teachers. Methods: For this purpose, an autobiographical Narrative Inquiry was used to study the experience of a Cooperating Teacher. The Teaching Practicum experience of a elementary school teacher ‘J’ using documents, memories, and interviews was drawn upon, and the meaning of J’s experiences were discussed. Results: As a result, J's narrative revealed the following meaning. Teaching Practicum is a process for pre-service teachers to understand the importance of relational context in the class. At the same time, it was revealed that a Cooperating Teacher recognizes the class is herself, so she has to accurately coordinate well complex relationships inside and outside the class, as the self-contained classroom teacher. This is the process of the professional development of elementary school teachers. Conclusion: Therefore, teacher training colleges should operate the Teaching Practicum in accordance with the original purpose by focusing on learning the role of a self-contained classroom teacher, and a Cooperating Teacher should also help ‘student teachers’ acquire the role of a self-contained classroom teacher properly.

Professional identity in physical education: a review of literature

Teachers’ professional identity shapes teachers’ educational views, impacting their behaviour, action and decision making. This study was designed with the goal of locating, compiling and analysing articles regarding professional identity in the physical education context and identifying elements that contribute to professional identity construction. We selected professional identity and physical education as search items in Web of Science, ERIC, SPORTDiscuss and Scopus. To investigate the previous decade of research, we limited the study to articles published between 2010 and 2020. This work combines recent publications written in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The database search yielded 27 relevant articles. The themes present in the articles can be divided into two groups: those linked to key actors and influences on physical education teachers’ professional identity, and those related to physical education preservice teachers. The following themes were discovered to influence teachers’ professional identity formation: relationships (established within their acting context), identity negotiation, identity transformation, lifelong learning, peer perception and the class context. The following themes impact preservice teachers’ professional identity formation: teaching practicum experience, prior experiences, a community of practice and the teachers’ body. Professional identity formation is an intricate process characterised by a diverse mix of personal, professional, environmental and social representations that interact in real time.

Online Teaching Practicum in Malaysia in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic.

When the teachers’ training practicum was paralyzed during the COVID-19 pandemic, preservice teachers in Malaysia were required to adapt to the online practicum. This qualitative case study was conducted with 20 preservice teachers to investigate their online teaching practicum experiences. The study drew on the Engagement Theory and Disaster Management Cycle framework to further suggest teaching approaches that might be effective during a tragic situation. Data were collected from interviews and video observations, and analyzed thematically. The findings contribute to the understanding of how preservice teachers learn to modify their teaching practices during the challenging context. A number of themes related to positive experience were identified: (i) higher confidence level, (ii) improved interaction, (iii) engagement in active learning, and (iv) adapting to online syllabus. On the other hand, the negative experience revolves around the problem with Internet connection. It is hoped that the findings of this study will encourage preservice teachers to consider hybrid approaches and online teaching in the future.