scholarly journals Evaluating Pre-Service Teaching Practice for Online and Distance Education Students in Pakistan

Author(s):  
Nauman Ahmed Abdullah ◽  
Munawar Sultana Mirza

In addition to conventional modes, teacher education programs in Pakistan are also offered through online and distance education. Teaching practice is a significant component of pre-service teacher education programs. Assessing the quality of teaching practice for pre-service student teachers is important, as these modules train the prospective teachers for their professional teaching careers. Virtual University of Pakistan (VU), an online university, offers pre-service teacher education programs. This research is an investigation into the learning opportunities and practices of VU student teachers in their teaching practice modules. Students enrolled in different teacher education programs served as the population of this study. Those in the fall 2018 semester who were enrolled in teaching practice modules were selected as a sample. Data sources included lesson plans prepared, lessons delivered, administrative and co-curricular duties performed by the students, as well as evaluation reports by supervisors, cooperating teachers, and school principals. There were improvements in the student teachers’ lesson plan formation and their overall learning. Data obtained through personal visits by VU faculty was used to verify and assess actual classroom teaching. Lack of regular attendance and punctuality by student teachers was observed as a result. Internal review of the VU system as it relates to the teaching practice modules was conducted to address any shortcomings in the course(s), its procedures, and its controls. Recommendations for improving the system, such as grading the modules, peer-assessment, and orientation workshops for student teachers are provided, as well as suggestions for developments in the teaching practice modules themselves. 

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayşe Akyel

Abstract The study aims to add to our understanding of pre-service teachers’ perceptions and experiences of research engagement during the school practicum. Specifically speaking, the following research question was addressed: What are Turkish pre-service EFL student teachers’ perceptions of the extent to which research engagement in the school practicum is beneficial for their professional development? Twenty-Four EFL student teachers (22 female, 2 male) participated in the study. They all took the practicum course together with the teacher research course during the 8th semester of their four-year undergrad education. Data came from an open-ended questionnaire, student teachers’ written reflections, conclusion sections of the research projects and semi-structured interviews with some of the participants after graduation. The findings indicated that participants benefited from research engagement during their practice teaching experience in questioning and reframing their understandings of teaching. However, they had some difficulties in research engagement during the school practicum. These findings have some crucial implications for the school practicum component of EFL teacher education programs. There is a common agreement that the pre-service teacher education programs are ideally responsible for laying the foundation for “contextualized” and “personalized” (Freeman & Johnson,1998) learning opportunities and preparing novices “to learn in and from their practice”(Feiman-Nemser, 2005). To this end, teacher candidates need support in using their own teaching practice as well as that of others (Kane and Francis, 2013) as a site of inquiry to examine and or reframe their understandings of teaching and students. (Ball and Cohen, 1999; Cochran and Smith and Lytle, 2009; Norman and Feiman-Nemser, 2005; Parr and Timperley 2010, Trent 2012). However, it is generally accepted that opportunities for such a process are not efficiently created by pre-service teacher education programs (Freeman&Johnson 1998, Feiman- Nemser 2009; Kane and Francis, 2013)


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Heather Smith-Sherwood

This qualitative multi-case study investigated thre exemplary pre-service teacher education programs in Jamaica and Michigan in order to provide an account of how they are structured in different contexts of tertiary institutions and, to identify how they ensure that their graduates are prepared to function effectively in today’s schools. Five categories of stakeholders across the three institutions were interviewed regarding their perception and expectations of pre-service teacher education in general as well as in the context of their program. The responses from these persons were described in narrative form, then analyzed and compared based on the similarities and differences that existed among them. The analysis led to the emergence of various themes across the three institutions, and these were used to draw conclusions relative to the structure of pre-service teacher education. The findings revealed eight distinguishing features of exemplary/effective pre-service teacher education programs whether university or college-based. (a) coherent program vision (b) cultural competence (c) collaborative partnership (d) contextualization (e) quality standards (f) well-planned and implemented field experiences (g) continuous assessment (h) experienced committed faculty and (i) a harmonious blend of theory and practice. To be effective, pre-service teacher education programs must prepare prospective teachers to adequately meet the challenges of teaching in today’s classrooms. To effect change, quality teachers are needed, and to produce quality teachers, quality preparation is a necessity. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajiha Kanwal ◽  
Iffat Basit ◽  
Qurat ul Ain

This study was premeditated to develop quality oriented model for restructuring of existing pre-service teacher education programs. Population of the study was comprised of all teacher educators and prospective teachers of teacher education institutions of Punjab and Islamabad, Pakistan. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select sample of 300 teacher educators and 890 prospective teachers from 30 institutions. Two research questionnaires were used for data collection. Results revealed that prospective teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Education (Honors) were dissatisfied with the institutional environment, practical work, assessment techniques and features of teacher education. Whereas prospective teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Education one year program showed dissatisfaction with program duration. that teacher Educators teaching at Bachelor of Education (Honors) expressed dissatisfaction about physical resources, teachers’ competencies, teaching strategies, assessment techniques, professional skills, appreciative features of programs and institutional efforts to raise quality of the programs. Prospective teachers and teacher educators associated with both programs somewhat expressed similar opinions regarding quality of the programs.  It is, therefore, recommended that teacher education institutions may improve the quality of both programs keeping in view quality related concerns of the teacher educators and prospective teachers.


Author(s):  
Prerna Mandhyan

Diversity in cultures has become the prominent feature of 21st century. The effect of this feature can be observed in classroom environment where the teacher has students having multicultural backgrounds. Therefore, there is need to train prospective teachers for teaching in diverse/ multicultural classroom. They are not prepared for coming in contact with different cultures than the sheltered one many of them have lived in. They are not prepared for the different needs possessed by today’s multicultural student population. In this paper, we discuss not just the problems that arise due to this issue. We also discuss ways to remedy these problems, starting with pre-service teacher education programs and ending with these prospective teachers themselves.


2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuksel Goktas ◽  
Zahide Yildirim ◽  
Soner Yildirim

ELT Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-462
Author(s):  
Esma Biricik Deniz ◽  
Elif Kemaloglu-Er ◽  
Yonca Ozkan

Abstract English as a lingua franca (ELF) is a recent paradigm in ELT which acknowledges non-native varieties in their own right and NNSs as having their own unique characteristics rather than assessing them against an NS benchmark. Despite the changing needs of today’s English language learners, there is little research on how to integrate ELF into pre-service teacher education programmes and English language teaching practice since there is a theory–practice gap due to lack of clear pedagogical descriptions and concrete classroom-driven data. This study presents an intensive educational model for pre-service teachers aiming to raise their awareness of the pedagogy of ELF, synthesizing theory with practice. It investigates how prospective teachers exposed to the ELF-aware teacher education model integrated ELF into their teaching and their viewpoints about the process. The entire process has been reported to contribute significantly to the participants’ professional development as well as presenting several challenges.


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