The effects of teaching practicum on EFL pre-service teachers’ concerns

Fadime Yalcin Arslan, Gulden Ilin

Abstract


This study aims to find out whether accumulating theoretical knowledge through  methodology courses  and experiencing real teaching practice during practicum may lead to any changes in EFL student-teachers’ probable concerns about teaching. The study further attempts to define these changes, if any. To reach the aims of the study, data were collected by means of a scale developed on the basis of the student-teachers’ concerns about teaching and teaching practice concerns sheets (TPCS) they kept for a period of ten weeks. In order to bring more depth to the study, the data were triangulated by the student-teachers’ narrative reflections.  Results indicate a significant difference between student-teacher concerns at the beginning and the end of teaching practice. It appears that practicum provides student-teachers with a base for awareness on teaching related issues in real contexts. In addition to this hand on experience, the findings also demonstrate that the knowledge base of student-teachers played an influential role in triggering the change in the nature of their concerns.


Keywords


Teacher concerns, teaching practice, teacher education

Full Text:

PDF

References


Caires, S., Almeida, L. & Vieira, D. (2012). Becoming a teacher: student-teachers’ experiences and perceptions about teaching practice. European Journal of Teacher Education, 35(2), 163 178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2011.64335

Capel, S.A. (1997). Changes and students’ anxieties and concerns after their first and second practices. Educational Research, 39(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0013188970390208.

Cochran, K. F., King, R. A. & DeRuiter, J.A. (1991). Pedagogical content knowledge: A tentative model for teacher preparation. ERIC Documents, ED340683.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2004). A guide to teaching practice. London: Routledge.

Çelik, H. (2008). Pre-Service EFL teachers’ reported concerns and stress for practicum in Turkey. Education and Science, 33(150), 97-108.

Day, R. (1993). Models and the knowledge based second language teacher education. University of Hawaii Working Papers in ESL, 11(2), 1–13.

Dunn, K. E., & Rakes, G. C. (2010). Producing caring qualified teachers: An exploration of the influence of pre-service teacher concerns on learner- centeredness, Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 516 521. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate. 2009.06.013

Farrell, T. S. (2008). Here's the book, go teach the class' ELT practicum support. RELC Journal, 39(2), 226-241.

Fuller, F. F. (1969). Concerns of teachers: A developmental conceptualization. American Educational Research Journal, 6(2), 207-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00028312006002207

Goh, P. S., & Matthews, B. (2011). Listening to the concerns of student teachers in Malaysia during teaching practice. Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online), 36(3), 12.

Goodings, R. (1982). Changing Priorities in Teacher Education. The British Comparative Education Society. Nichols Publishing Company, 155 West 72nd Street, New York, NY 10023.

Hawkins, M. (2004). Language learning and teacher education: a sociocultural approach. Clevedon UK: Multlingual Matters.

Heeralal, P. J., & Bayaga, A. (2011). Pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching practice: case of South African University. Journal of Social Sciences, 28(2), 99-105.

Hergüner, G. Arslan, S. & Dündar, H. (2002). Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Öğretmenliği Bölümü Öğrencilerinin Okul Deneyimi Dersini Algılama Düzeyleri. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 1(11), 44-58.

Johnson, K., E. (2009). Second language teacher education: A sociocultural perspective. UK: Routledge.

Liu,S. (2013). Pedagogical content knowledge: a case study of ESL teacher educator. English Language Teaching, 6(7), 129-138.

Lotter,C. (2004).Pre-service science teachers’ concerns through classroom observations and student teaching: special focus on inquiry teaching. Science Educator, 13(1), 29-38.

Marks, R. (1990). Pedagogical content knowledge: from a mathematical case to a modified conception. Journal of Teacher Education, 41(3), 3-11.

Martin, A.J. (2006). The relationship between teachers’ perceptions of student motivation and engagement and teachers’ enjoyment of and confidence in teaching. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 34(1), 73-93. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/13598660500480100.

Mau, R. Y. (1997). Concerns of student-teachers: implications for improving the practicum. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 25(1), 53-65. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/1359866970250105

Melnick, S.A. & Meister,D.G. (2008). A Comparison of Beginning and Experienced Teachers' Concerns, Educational Research Quarterly, 31(3), 39-56.

Mok, Y. F (2005). Teacher Concerns and teacher life stages. Research in Education,73, 53-72.

Murray-Harvey, R., Slee, T.J., Lawson, M.J.,Silins,H.,Banfield,G., & Russel, A. (2000).Under stres: The concerns and coping strategies of teacher education students. European Journal of Teacher Education, 23(1), 19-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/713667267

Oral, B. and Dağlı, A. (1999). Öğretmen adaylarının okul deneyimine ilişkin algıları. Çağdaş Eğitim, 254, 18-24

Özdemir, A. Ş. & Çanakçı, O. (2005). “Okul Deneyimi I†dersinin öğretmen adaylarının öğretim-öğrenme kavramlarına ve öğretmen-öğrenci rollerine bakış açıları üzerindeki etkileri. İlköğretim-Online 4(1), 73-80.

Poulou, M. (2007). Student-teachers’ concerns about teaching practice. European Journal of Teacher Education, 30(1), 91-110. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/02619760600944993.

Ralph, E. G.(2004). Interns’ and cooperating teachers’ concerns during the extended practicum. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 50(4), 411-429.

Richards, J. C. & Farrell, T. S. C. (2002). Professional development for language Teachers. New York: Cambridge University Press

Ruohotie -Lythy, M. and Kaikkonen, P. (2009). The difficulty of change: The impact of personal school experience and teacher education on the work of beginning language teachers. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 53(3), 295-309. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00313830902917378.

Schulman, L.S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher 15(2), 4-14.

Yourn, B. R. (2000). Learning to teach: Perspectives from beginning music teachers. Music Education Research, 2(2), 181-192.

Van Driel, J.H., & Berry, A. (2010). The teacher education knowledge base: Pedagogical content knowledge. In B. McGraw, P.L. Peterson, E. Baker, (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Education, 3rd edition; Vol. 7 (pp. 656-661). Oxford: Elsevier.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T Press

Wilson, S.M., Schulman, L. & Richert, A. E. (1987). ‘150’ different ways of knowing: representation of knowledge in teaching. In Calderhead, J. (Ed.), Exploring

teachers' thinking (pp. 104-125). London: Cassell.

Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, 17(2), 89-100.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies
ISSN 1305-578X (Online)
Copyright © 2005-2022 by Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies