Abstract
M.Ed.
The importance of teach1ng practice during the course of teacher education in order to further the career readiness of future teachers is generally acknowledged. Without such closely supervised experience the future teacher cannot be adequately prepared for the reality of teaching and such teacher education would therefore not be scientifically grounded in the reality of teaching. When current practices of student teaching practice are observed, certain questions as to its effectiveness must be raised. To ensure that the system functions effectively and succeeds in providing properly trained students for the profession, it is essential that ongoing research be undertaken to eliminate possible problems and to provide useful renewal. Teaching practice has the purpose of offering functional experience to the future teacher by exposing him to both the complexity and the reality of the on-the-job situation of the actual classroom and its school environment. Training institutions are seldom in an ideal position to bring students in direct contact with the reality of teaching or to undertake the extremely
important aspect of imparting professionalism before the career is embarked upon.
Should the school be referred to as a participant in the training of future teachers, it is with a vague reference to a group without specifying either the people or their tasks. This can result in responsibility for such training remaining nebulous. In the light of this', it is necessary to identify' specific individuals in the school situation, because during the teaching practice there is talk of some limited but clearly defined duties and responsibilities. Not only does the teacher who accepts a student for the teaching practice appear to be in the ideal position to provide direct guidance during the
experience of the actual teaching situation, but he is also the logical person to provide continuous specific and individual help. Unfortunately the teacher is often unaware of the role he should assume during the teaching practice of the student. It may be that the nature of his involvement is underestimated or that the teachers find themselves ill-
prepared because their function during teaching practice has been poorly defined. Seen against the background of these problems, the purpose of this study is to examine the role that teachers should assume during teaching practice, and to identify their specific functions as guide and co-trainer so that these may be clearly spelt out and effectively performed. In order to approach the formulated problem systematically, both local and
overseas literature have been studied to reinforce the intersubjective validity of the study.
In the light of information thus gleaned, three separate, structured questionnaires were designed to tentatively gauge the present teacher participation in teaching practice and to make recommendations. To ensure the validity and objectivity of the empirical investigation, lecturers involved in teaching practice, teachers who had previously
accepted students for teaching practice and final-year student teachers were involved in this study. The empirical investigation, supported by the literature, reveals that
teachers do not accept an apathetic attitude towards teaching practice but rather that their sometimes uninvolved attitude can be ascribed to the fact that they are unsure of the part they should play in order to fulfil the role of guide of the teacher-to-be during teaching practice. The link between training institutions and responsible. teachers should also be emphasized so that teachers may be made aware that their involvement in teaching practice is not just a transient responsibility, but rather the responsibility of a fellow-trainer. The investigation also indicates that the spectrum of experiences during
teaching practice is so wide that it demands systematic procedures and carefully structured methods' so that the student-teacher may be introduced to the full reality of teaching in an orderly manner. Only thus can the potential value of student teaching practice be ensured.