scholarly journals On the Cultivation of Their Community of Practice: A Case Study of EFL Malaysian Pre-Service Teachers

Author(s):  
Taghreed El Masry ◽  
Mohd Rashid Mohd Saad

This study examined the experiences of five EFL student teachers/pre-service teachers (PSTs) who participated in a Community of Practice (CoP) during their simulated teaching course and the practicum stage or teaching practice (TP), at The University of Malaya, a public Malaysian university. The experiences and tensions they encountered through this stage were discussed in the light of cultivating their CoP over five stages. Joining the CoP, increasing participation and negotiation of one's tacit knowledge and assumptions were found to be productive at their learning to teach stage. However, some tensions, such as English proficiency level, self-confidence and agency, power relationships and worries of assessment persisted until the end of their practice. The results highlighted the significance of collaboration, reflection and social interactions with other CoP members as key to PSTs' learning.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-95
Author(s):  
Cias T Tsotetsi ◽  
Selloane A Mile

Preparing student teachers for the world of work is seen globally as a challenge. This research aims to explore mentors and mentees experiences in teaching practice during the COVID-19 period. In order to explore the challenge in this study, the following research question guided the paper: What are the teaching practice experiences of mentors and mentees at a school during COVID-19? The research question is a result of limited research done on the experiences of two groups during COVID-19. Informed by the realist social theory, we generated data via telephonic interviews with mentors and mentees in one school. The data was generated through semi-structured Interviews and thematic analysis was a method employed in the analysis of the data. The results present challenges experienced by mentees which, amongst others, include a feeling of inadequacy or a lack of confidence in their abilities to bring about order to the classroom and a feeling of being excluded in meetings and extra-curricular activities. On the other hand, mentors receive mentees without any prior warning or without arrangements made to accommodate them and the absence of the university officials except for assessment. Based on the results, a collaborative approach should be employed to deal with some of the challenges experienced by mentors and mentees.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Hee-Jeong Kim

Teacher professional learning occurs across various contexts. Previous studies on teacher learning and changes in practice have focused on either classroom contexts or learning communities outside of school, but have rarely investigated teacher learning across multiple contexts. Investigating teacher learning across the double contexts of classroom and learning community has presented methodological challenges. In response, this paper proposes the suitability of adopting a socio-cultural development framework to further the analytical approach to such challenges. Using the framework, this paper considers the case study of a middle school mathematics teacher who resolved a problem of teaching practice through interacting with other members of the community of practice where they build shared goals and knowledge. This paper contributes to the field by expanding the scope of research on teacher learning across these two contexts, in which problem of practice becomes conceptual resources that the teacher uses in her teaching practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (3 (253)) ◽  
pp. 173-193
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Brzosko-Barratt

This paper is a part of a larger instrumental case study exploring the process of creating a CLIL teacher education program for early primary level at the University of Warsaw. The paper identifies some challenges related to program design and describes areas of growth of student teachers specifically related to CLIL planning instruction. The data were collected over a period of five years and included interviews and focused groups with student teachers, teacher educators and mentor teachers as well as the analysis of CLIL units created by the student teachers.


Author(s):  
Evelyn Aguirre ◽  
Solomon Faller

The usefulness of teachers’ mentoring program cannot be underestimated. Some universities and colleges in the Philippines have been implementing this kind of program with different approaches, content, and scope. The extent of mentoring programs to improve teaching careers has been studied here and abroad. Results remain inconclusive. This case study with a phenomenological peg has explored the lived experiences of neophyte teachers through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Their experiences in the first years of teaching were characterized by uncertainties, anxieties, struggles, and difficulties emanating from their lack of expertise on various aspects related to teaching practice, lack of knowledge about the culture and context of the university in which they were teaching, and lack of knowledge about the learners. With these specific inadequacies identified and the novice teachers’ implicit desire to be mentored, cues for a viable neophyte teacher’s mentoring program are drawn in the context of a teacher-training university.


Author(s):  
Joanna Ewa Sycz-Opoń

This paper presents a typology of information-seeking styles exhibited by 52 students of the MA translation and interpreting programme at the University of Silesia, Poland. The typology emerged during the large-scale investigation into trainee translators’ research behaviour occurring during translation of a legal text from English into Polish (Sycz-Opoń 2019). The method of investigation combined observation of students’ recorded performances with a think-aloud protocol (TAP). The case-study analysis brought to light significant variation in student’s information-seeking behaviour, which had gone unnoticed in the aggregate statistical data. Individual differences included students’ source preference, search intensity, level of criticism towards sources, diligence, risk-taking, self-confidence, and source reliance. As a result of the analysis the six research styles emerged: traditionalist, innovator, minimalist, true detective, procrastinator, and habitual doubter. They are presented in this paper with special attention to each style’s strengths, weaknesses and recommended teaching approaches. The results suggest the need for information-seeking training geared towards the diverse needs of individual students.


Author(s):  
Ailwei Solomon Mawela

Open distance learning (ODeL) approach is used worldwide to offer different qualifications. In studying towards obtaining a teaching qualification at UNISA, students are required to participate in teaching practice sessions before they can obtain their teaching qualification. This study aims at exploring ODeL institution student teachers' teaching practice experience in selected secondary schools in Vhembe District of South Africa. This qualitative single case study employed an interpretivism paradigm and personal theory of teaching practice. Convenient purposive sampling technique was used to sample six (n=6) student teachers from the University of South Africa who were currently conducting teaching practice in secondary schools during this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data that was later analyzed through the use of themes and categories. The findings indicate a lack of knowledge, which requires ODeL student teachers to be trained prior teaching practice. Mentor teachers require professional development.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Kaphesi

The present study was an evaluation of assessment of fourth year undergraduate student teachers on teaching practice in secondary schools. The study was carried out in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the Malawi Polytechnic of the University of Malawi. A total number of 18 (14 males, 4 females) mathematical sciences education students of the Polytechnic of the University of Malawi were included in the study. The assessment grades and supervision comments were taken by using instruments designed and approved by the department. All the measurements were taken by observing a student teacher planning and delivering a lesson as part of a requirement of the degree of bachelor of education in mathematical sciences education of the University of Malawi. Obtained data was analysed and attempt was made to find out correlation between assessment grade and the supervision comments based on the observed lesson. A positive correlation of grades was observed with the comments made and that the grade given to each individual student was lower than what the comments suggests regarding the quality of the student.  The results raise the question of the validity and authenticity of assessment and supervision conducted by teacher educators. The results of the present study would be useful for teacher trainers/educators involved in assessing and supervising students during teaching practices.


2020 ◽  
pp. 257-278
Author(s):  
Eirik Sørbø ◽  
Andreas Waaler Røshol

Research regarding informal learning over the last few decades has shown how popular musicians acquire skills and knowledge through informal learning, suggesting new methods for formal music education compared to the structures of western classical music. Today, the realm of popular electronic music education faces some similar challenges that popular music education initially did; new ways of informal learning, and a different and diverse knowledge base for the students entering popular music programs. Related to these challenges is the question of how to teach one-to-one tuition in higher electronic music education, and this article seeks to address this challenge. We present a case-study of the practice of a teacher at the University of Agder in Norway that teaches electronics in one-to-one tuition, where the research data is based on interviewing this teacher and his students. An important aspect of the practice in question is the process of listening to and discussing the student’s original recorded music. We discuss some of the challenges of one-to-one teaching in electronic music education, and argue that this particular teaching approach accommodates some of these challenges. Bringing in the educational framework of Biesta, we argue that this form of teaching practice also facilitates subjectification by addressing both uniqueness and expression. Further, we argue that this practice, which focuses on the teaching of aesthetics instead of technicalities, combined with the development of the students’ unique artistic expression can open some interesting possibilities related to addressing subjectivity in higher music education. One of these is how the students need to articulate both the objectives and aims within their music, and the objectives and aims of their music, which in turn develops a terminology to talk about and beyond aesthetics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Sultan Selen Kula ◽  
Mutlu Pınar Demirci Güler

The research aimed to determine the views and expectations of pre-service teachers studying in the field of classroom teaching, practice teachers in practice schools, and faculty members responsible for courses related to teaching practice regarding teaching practice processes. The research was designed as a case study from qualitative research designs. The study group consists of 36 female and 9 male, aged between 21 and 25, totally of 45 pre-service teachers; 16 female and 30 male, aged between 30 and 51, totally of 46 practice teachers; 4 female and 7 male, aged between 30 and 51, totally of 11 faculty members. The data was collected in writing with separate forms for pre-service teachers, practice teachers, and faculty members. The data was analyzed by thematic analysis. The results of the research suggest that the existing operation regarding the university-school collaboration is insufficient and those pre-service teachers have the expectation to increase the practice courses in terms of number and duration. It is thought that the interaction between the university and the school should be improved in all aspects. This research is expected to be a guide for revealing expectations of related parties and improving the process during the teaching practice.   Keywords: Pre-service teacher, Teacher training, Teaching practice, University-school cooperation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102
Author(s):  
Siti Nuraeni Muhtar ◽  
Dahlya Indra Nurwanti ◽  
R. Nadia R. P. Dalimunthe

This article explores teacher's experiences and students' perceptions of character and values education at the university level. This is a case study of how teacher integrates character education in EFL Reading Comprehension subject at Islamic higher education context. The data from ten students and a teacher are collected through an online interview and questionnaires. The result showed the characters implied in EFL Reading Comprehension Subject are eleven characters include learning method, critical thinking, independence, creativity, courage/self-confidence, communicativeness, responsibility, honesty, religiousness, cooperation, tolerance. Those characters are positively responded by the students in their learning process in the classroom. Besides, the teacher also integrated those values in the teaching and learning process to instill students' character education.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document