Pupils perceptions of teacher education practicum in the Free State secondary schools
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Date
1999-12
Authors
Maimane, Joseph Ramathibela
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Government all over the world regard teacher education as an important institution in the development of the economic and social reconstruction of the country, regardless of the multitude of views that engulf it. The initial phase of teacher development has been considered as an area of concern by the government, the business sector, and by parents. This concern needs to be attended to in order to supply the country with knowledgeable, competent, skilful and professional role models for the youth. The purpose of this study is to investigate pupils' perceptions of student teachers during teaching practice session in the Free State secondary schools with the aim of suggesting a model that may bring about some difference in the current perceptions pupils hold of student teachers. The other important factor is to add to the available knowledge of teacher education with the aim of placing it on the same pedestals as other professions. In an attempt to meet the purpose of the study, a literature review concerning teacher education in England, the United State of America, Australia and Zambia is undertaken. The perceptions of pupils regarding student teachers during practicums session are also highlighted. With this in mind, a comparison is done in Chapter 2 with the South Africa teacher education. In Chapter 3 a historical survey of the South African education system and the perceptions of pupils regarding teachers is covered with a view of making the reader aware of how the philosophy of life of the minority group impacted on the social fabric of the country and teacher education. Chapter 4 deals with the brief discussions of the philosophical foundations and trends which have influenced teacher education and the related perceptions. This is done so that student teachers will make a sound choice from them when developing their personal philosophy of education. Chapter 5 deals with the administration and procedures of the study, including the collating, analysis and interpretation of the data. The questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used with the purpose of obtaining the relative validity of what other researchers had said about pupils' perceptions of student teachers. In Chapter 6 the research findings, their implications, contributions, and possible limitations are elucidated. A model of teaching practice, which is similar to the Zimbabwe Integrated Teacher Education Course (ZINTEC) model, is provided and suggestions for future research are made.
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Keywords
Education -- Research, Mentors and mentoring, Competency based education -- South Africa, Thesis (D.Ed. (Education))--University of the Free State (South Campus), 1999