Professional Learning Opportunities and challenges among Student-Teachers during the Teaching Practice in Nyamagana District, Tanzania
Journal Title: Education Quarterly Reviews - Year 2018, Vol 1, Issue 2
Abstract
This study investigated professional learning opportunities that student-teachers attained and the challenges they encountered during the teaching practice in Nyamagana District. Questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect the data. One hundred and eighty (180) student-teachers (respondents) from 14 higher learning institutions who were doing the teaching practice in secondary schools in 2018 were selected using simple random sampling. Furthermore, purposeful sampling procedures were employed in selecting few student-teachers who were leaders of the group from each school. The results showed that teaching practice increases student-teachers' confidence and competence in lesson preparation, content, records management, classroom management, and moral values. It was also revealed that teaching practice helps student-teachers to be exposed to mentorship and teaching experiences. In the case of challenges, it was revealed that student-teachers face a problem of lack of sufficient instructional materials, insufficient orientation, poor working environment, lack of adequate skills to manage students with special needs and aggressive behaviour as well as over-crowded classrooms. Again, it was revealed that schools had no appropriate strategies for creating professional learning community and variation in assessment strategies and conflicting comments from assessors were other the challenges. The study recommends an integrated approach for effective implementation of teaching practice where school-based cooperating teachers, school-based mentors and University supervisors should work collaboratively to ensure a student-teacher has room to explore, discover and acquire professional attributes regarding teaching. A blended mentorship approach which includes face to face and online sessions for student-teacher is thought to be a worthy strategy to improve teaching practice.
Authors and Affiliations
Placidius Ndibalema, Winifrida Kambona
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP436536
- DOI 10.31014/aior.1993.01.01.29
- Views 74
- Downloads 0
Language Challenges and Strategies for English Language Learners in Statistics Education: An Overview of Research in This Field
Despite the rapidly growing population of English Language Learners in schools, very little research has focused on understanding the challenges of English Language Learners in statistics education. This paper reviews re...
The Academic Experience of 1st Year International Students at Northeast Normal University: A Case Study of Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
The present study explored the Academic Experiences of 1st year International Students in Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China. The trend of globalized education attracting thousands of international students to...
Implementation of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) Cooperative Learning Model to Improve the Economic Learning Achievements
The aim of the research was to determine the improvement in economic learning achievements of senior high school students in Pekanbaru, Indonesia through the application of the cooperative learning model of the think-pai...
Effect of Readers Theatre Technique on achievement in Reading Skills of Secondary School Learners in Kisumu County Kenya
Readers theatre technique is an interactive learning experience which promotes fluency and comprehension amongst learners. In the same vein, effective reading skills equip learners with requisite competence for successfu...
Poor Municipal Waste Management and Its Health Implication: A Case Study of Kabul City
A detailed study of the ongoing situation shows that the solid waste management in Kabul is not appropriate and a set of challenges exists in a different part of the system, local people have more concern with solid wast...