Utilization of Reflective Strategies by Mentors in the Student Teacher Mentoring Program (STMP) in a Selected Province in Zimbabwe

2018 ◽  
pp. 197-211
Author(s):  
Edson Zikhali ◽  
Joyce Tsungai Zikhali
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Lesson Planning ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Teachers Colleges ◽  
Lesson Delivery ◽  
Lesson Evaluation ◽  
Reflective Strategies ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Teacher Mentoring Program

In Zimbabwe, teacher training is a joint endeavor between teachers' colleges and host schools, with the latter relying on mentors in training student teachers during teaching practice (TP). This chapter explores how mentors' reflective strategies enhance students' training. It explores how mentors adopt reflective strategies to guide student teachers. Five mentors were interviewed individually while 20 were interviewed in two focus groups. Their views concentrated on key aspects of teaching, namely scheming, lesson planning, delivery, and evaluation. Findings revealed that student teachers lacked clear aims, had poor lesson introductions, superficial lesson evaluation, and unsatisfactory lesson delivery. The study highlighted that mentors reflected on these aspects and assisted the student teachers to do the same. The study recommends that teachers' colleges should prepare student teachers adequately in scheming, planning, and lesson delivery before TP. More time should be devoted to professional studies by teachers' colleges before student teachers are deployed on TP.

Student Teachers’ Experiences in the Student Teacher Mentoring Programme (STMP) in Zimbabwe—A Case for Masvingo Province

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (1 & 2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edson Zikhali ◽  
Richard Makoni ◽  
Joyce Zikhali
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Teachers Colleges ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Teachers Experiences ◽  
Lesson Delivery ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Group Interviews

This multiple case study reports on an investigation into student teachers’ teaching practice experiences in the 2.5.2 programme in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. A qualitative research design was adopted to investigate this phenomenon through focus group interviews and questionnaires with a purposeful sample of 20 student teachers who had just completed their teaching practice. The interviews were recorded using a digital recorder and transcribed verbatim by the researchers. The data were manually coded to find the themes; these are presented using direct quotations and were analysed using content analysis. The findings revealed that mentors play a critical role in the training of teachers in Zimbabwe and that some student teachers had problems with stating aims in their schemes of work and objectives in lesson plans. They also experienced difficulties with lesson planning and had challenges in lesson delivery. Class control was difficult for many student teachers and lesson evaluation proved tough for them. These insights suggest that host teachers’ colleges should devote more time to professional studies where student teachers practice planning lessons and evaluating them, making schemes of work and engaging in microteaching. These could be followed with reflection and discussions that facilitate better performance in teaching. Considering the critical role that mentors play during teaching practice, it would be recommended that a token of appreciation be awarded to them.

scholarly journals Effect of E-Portfolio-Based Reflection-Enhancing Tasks on Female Saudi Student Teachers’ Development of Reflective Practice With Respect to Lesson Planning and Teacher Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Asma Mansour Almusharraf
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teacher Research ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Lesson Planning ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Reflection Component

This study was an attempt to develop student teachers’ level of reflection as a result of having a blended teaching practice course. More specifically, its aim was to develop their reflection and performance by having them engage in certain reflection-enhancing tasks in an online e-portfolio during the practicum. To achieve this goal, the study was conducted using 8 student teachers in a practicum course offered at Imam Mohammed ibn Saud Islamic University. This study addressed the research question: How does engaging EFL student teachers in e-portfolio-based reflection-enhancing tasks affect their level of reflection as it pertains to lesson planning and teacher research? El-Okda’s (2009) rubric for assessing reflection was used to evaluate the participants’ reflection-enhancing tasks using descriptive statistics. The findings of this study suggest that the participants understood and learned to reflect through participation in reflection-enhancing tasks with respect to lesson planning and teacher research. The recommendation that a reflection component with a framework of assessment should be incorporated into teaching methods courses and teacher preparation programs is presented.

Listening to the Experiences and Concerns of Pre-Service Teachers During Teaching Practice Programme

2021 ◽  
pp. 14-27
Author(s):  
Darshana Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Teacher Education Programme ◽  
Practice Teaching

Teaching Practice is widely recognised as the sine-qua-non of any teacher education programme. It is a component in the teacher preparation programme where prospective teachers are provided with an opportunity to put their theoretical studies into practice, get feedback, reflect on practice and consequently further improve their teaching skills. As teaching practice is an important component of a teacher education programme, considerable attention must be given to make it more effective and fruitful. This paper is based on a research study conducted to know pre-service teachers' experiences of the quality of teaching practice and the common concerns they have during teaching practice. On the basis of focussed group discussion a total of five themes were identified, these are (1) usefulness of teaching practice (2) experiences/concerns with pupils' behaviour (3) experiences/concerns with own behaviour (4) experiences/concerns with supervisors' behaviour (5) experiences/concerns with institutional and personal adjustments. The outcome of the focussed group discussion was used to prepare a structured questionnaire. Among other things, the study recommended rigorous practical training in lesson planning, demonstration lessons by teacher educators, simulated teaching before the commencement of practice teaching, school orientation programmes, a separate internship of two weeks and writing a journal by student teachers during teaching practice.

scholarly journals “This is why students feel lost when they go into teaching practice”: English Language Teachers’ Views on their Initial Teacher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 371-387
Author(s):  
Sue Garton
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Research

The last 20-25 years have seen a significant shift in the views about what teachers need to know to be able to teach. This shift has led to new developments in the theory of second language teacher education (SLTE) and a growth in research in this area. One area of research concerns the attitudes and expectations of those learning to become teachers. While most studies in this area focus on teacher education programmes in BANA countries, this article looks at data from student teachers studying in Russia and Uzbekistan. The study employed a quantitative and qualitative research design, using a researcher-designed on-line questionnaire. Through snowball sampling, data from 161 students and recent graduates in the two countries were collected, analysed, and compared to investigate the content of SLTE programmes. The study identified what the novice teachers felt were the strengths and weaknesses of their programme, and what changes they would like to see. Results showed that while the respondents were mainly satisfied with their methodology, and theoretical linguistics courses, they felt the need for more practice, both teaching and language practice. The data also revealed that, in Uzbekistan in particular, the idea of global English struggles to take hold as native-speaker models remain the norm. The implications of the study underline the need for SLTE to explicitly link theory to practice and to promote the idea of varieties of English, rather than focus on native-speaker norms.

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