A Comparison of Preservice Teachers and Stakeholders’ Perception of ELT Practicum at Farhangian University

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of English Language, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

Despite its recognized importance in preparing prospective teachers for the realities of the classroom, the practicum in Iranian TEFL programs faces several challenges that can significantly impact its effectiveness and hinder the development of competent and confident TEFL teachers in the country. This study, characterized as a comprehensive nationwide triangulated project, aimed at exploring and comparing the perception of the Iranian TEFL Preservice Teachers (PSTs) and the corresponding stakeholders on major issues, problems and challenges of the practicum program at Farhangian University. To these ends, a researcher-made practicum evaluation questionnaire was distributed among the participants (including 230 PSTs and 215 stakeholders) whose answers were analyzed through factor analysis. Based on factor loadings, nine major extracted factors in the two participant groups were compared through Independent Samples t-tests. The results showed that PSTs and stakeholders shared common perceptions on six factors while they held different perceptions only on three other factors. A semi-structured interview was additionally designed and conducted with 15 PSTs and 15 stakeholders. Finally, 10 practicum courses were observed to obtain an accurate understanding of the current situation of ELT PSTs’ internship education in Iran. The findings uncovered major issues and challenges with regard to ELT practicum including (a) limited adaptability and innovation in instructional approaches, resources, and materials utilized by the cooperating teachers who served as a role model for PSTs, (b) insufficient collaboration between educational institutions and universities, (c) lack of proper supervision by university advisors, d) insufficiency of time allotted to PSTs for teaching,  and e) huge gap between theoretical concepts related to the practicum principles studied in university courses with the practical realities faced by PSTs in the school environment, to name a few. The findings of the study might firstly give some insight to universities and schools in developing and implementing high-quality practicum programs that might contribute to the advancement of ELT teacher education programs. Moreover, the study can contribute to our understanding of the extent to which PSTs can integrate theoretical knowledge into their teaching practices.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Abell, S. K., Dillon, D. R., Hopkins, C. J., McInerney, W. D., & O'Brien, D. G. (1995). “Somebody to count on”: Mentor/intern relationships in a beginning teacher internship program. Teaching and Teacher Education, 11(2), 173-188.
Allen, J. M. (2011). Stakeholders’ perspectives of the nature and role of assessment during practicum. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(4), 742-750.
Avidov-Ungar, O. (2016). A model of professional development: Teachers’ perceptions of their professional development. Teachers and Teaching, 22 (6), 653-669. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2016.1158955
Bates, A. J., Drits, D., & Ramirez, L. A. (2011). Self-awareness and enactment of supervisory stance: Influences on responsiveness toward student teacher learning. Teacher Education Quarterly, 38(3), 69-87.
Beck, C., & Kosnik, C. (2000). Associate teachers in pre-service education: Clarifying and enhancing their role. Journal of Education for Teaching, 26(3), 207-224.
Berliner, D. C. (2001). Learning about and learning from expert teachers. International Journal of Educational Research, 35(5), 463–482.
Biesta, G. (2007). Why “what works” won’t work: Evidence-based practice and the democratic deficit in educational research. Educational Theory, 57(1), 1–22.
 Biesta, G. (2015). Teaching, Teacher Education, and the Humanities: Reconsidering Education as a Geisteswissenschaft. Educational Theory, 65(6), 665–679. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/edth.12141
Blömeke, S. & Paine, L. (2008). Getting the fish out of the water: Considering benefits and problems of doing research on teacher education at an international level. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 2027–2037.
Brunstad, P. O. (2007). Military professional actions- more than knowledge and skills. Pacem, 10(2), 59–70.
Caires, S., & Almeida, L. S. (2007). Positive aspects of the teacher training supervision: The student teachers’ perspective. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 22(4), 515-528.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Dewey, J. (1964). The need for a philosophy of education. In R. D. Archambault (Ed.), John Dewey on education: Selected writings (pp. 3-14). New York: Random House.
Draves, T. J. (2008). “Firecrackers” and “Duds” cooperating music teachers' perspectives on their relationships with student teachers. Journal of Music Teacher Education, 18(1), 6-15.
Eisner, E. (2002). From episteme to phronesis to artistry in the study and improvement of teach­ing. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 375–385.
Gan, Z. (2014). Learning from interpersonal interactions during the practicum: a case study of non-native ESL student teachers. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 40(2), 128-139. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2013.869969
Gholami, J. & Qurbanzada, I. (2016). Key stakeholders’ attitudes towards teacher education programs in TEFL: A case study of Farhangian University in Iran. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 18(2), 5-20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/jtes-2016-0011
Hyland, F., & Lo, M. M. (2006). Examining interaction in the teaching practicum: Issues of language, power and control. Mentoring & Tutoring Partnership in Learning, 14(2), 163–186.
Izadinia, M. (2016) Student teachers’ and mentor teachers’ perceptions and expectations of a mentoring relationship: Do they match or clash? Professional Development in Education, 42(3), 387-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2014.994136
John, P. D. & Gilchrist, I. (2006). Flying solo: understanding the post‐lesson dialogue between student teacher and mentor. Mentoring and Tutoring, 7(2), 101-111.
Khatib, M. & Rahgoshay, S. R. (2021). Evaluation of ELT Practicum Courses: Exploring the Perspectives of Student Teachers and Graduated Student Teachers. Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies, 13(1), 89-108. https://www.doi.org/10.22111/ijals.2021.6365
Kiely, RN., & Pauline, R.D. (2009). Evaluation and learning in language programmes. In K. Knapp, & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.), Handbook of Applied Linguistics: Volume 6: Foreign language communication and learning (663 - 694). de Gruyter.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). The process of experiential learning. In Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (chapter two). http://academic.regis.edu/ed205/Kolb.pdf
LaBoskey, V.K. (2014). Development of reflective practice: A study of pre-service teachers. New York: Teachers College Press.
Lawson, T., Cakmak, M., Gunduz, M., & Busher, H. (2015). Research on teaching practicum: A systematic review. European Journal of Teacher Education, 38(3), 392-407. DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2014.994060
Levin, B.B., & Rock, T.C. (2003). The effects of collaborative action research on preservice and experienced teacher partners in professional development schools. Journal of Teacher Education, 54(2), 135-149. DOI: 10.1177/0022487102250287
Masoumpanah, Z., Tahririan, M. H., Alibabaee, A., & Afzali, K. (2017). Evaluation of the Undergraduate TEFL Program at Farhangian University: Merits and Demerits. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics (IJAL), 20(2), 157-193. URL: http://ijal.khu.ac.ir/article-1-2826-en.html
McEvoy, P. & Richards, D. (2006). A critical realist rational for using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Journal of Research in Nursing 11, 66-78.
Mozafarianpour, A., Marandi, S., Tajik, L., Izanloo, B. (2023). Student Trust in Teacher Questionnaire: An Instrument for Measuring High School Students' Trust in English Teachers. Teaching English Language, 17(2), 69-102. DOI: 10.22132/TEL.2023.175737
Rea-Dickins, P., & Germaine, K. (1992). Evaluation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schreiber, L. M., & Valle, B. E. (2013). Social constructivist teaching strategies in the small group classroom. Small Group Research, 44(4), 395–411.
Soodmand Afshar, H. & Ghasemi, Sh. (2018). Developing and Validating a Model for Exploring Iranian EFL Teachers’ Perception of Professional Development, Journal of Teaching Language Skills, 37(3), 169-210. DOI: 10.22099/jtls.2019.32064.2629
Soodmand Afshar, H., & Hosseini Yar, Sh. (2019). Investigating the relationship between attitude towards professional development, reflective teaching, self-efficacy, and job performance of Iranian English as a Foreign Language Teachers. Teaching English Language, 13(2), 147-179. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22132/tel.2019.96070
Soodmand Afshar, H., & Movasagh, H. (2016). EAP education in Iran: Where does the problem lie? Where are we heading? Journal of English for Academic Purpose, 22, 132-151. DOI: 10.1016/j.jeap.2016.04.002
Stanulis, R. & Russell, D. (2000). "Jumping in": Trust and communication in mentoring student teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education 16(1), 65-80.
Ulvik, M., Smith, K. (2011). What characterises a good practicum in teacher education? Education Inquiry, 2(3), 517-536.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. US: President and Fellows of Harvard College.
Yuan, R., & Lee, I. (2014). Preservice teachers’ changing beliefs in the teaching practicum: Three cases in an EFL context. System, 44, 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2014.02.002
Zanting, A., Verloop, N., & Vermunt, J. D. (2001). Student teachers’ beliefs about mentoring and learning to teach during teaching practice. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 71(1), 57-80.
Zeichner, K. (2002). Beyond traditional structures of student teaching. Teacher Education Quarterly, 2(2), 59–64.
Zeichner, K. (2010). Rethinking the connections between campus courses and field experiences in college and University-based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(12), 89–99.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics