Teaching
practice is an important component of becoming a teacher. It grants student
teachers’ experience in actual teaching and learning environment (Ngidi &
Sibaya, 2003). During teaching practice a student teacher is given the
opportunity to try the act of teaching before actually getting into the real
world of the teaching profession. Teaching practice is an integral part of
teachers’ education. An introduction to the realities of situation is an
essential part of effective professional training. This process also allows the
student teachers an appropriate choice to be made.
The aim of the teaching practice
experience is to provide opportunities for student teachers to integrate theory
and practice and work collaboratively with and learn from the teachers. Student
teachers observe subject teacher at work, so as to learn about teacher’s
skills, strategies and classroom achievement. They also evaluate their own
teaching experience through conferencing with teachers and lecturers and
through self-reflection, implement a variety of approaches, strategies and
skills, with a view to bring about meaningful learning. In this way student
teachers gain experience in managing and evaluating classwork, in maintaining
discipline and good order in the classroom, find their own teaching style and
personality and become acquainted with school organization and administration.
Teaching practice is the practical
implementation of the information and strategies that students have learned to
prepare these student teachers for their career as teachers by incorporating
them, completely into the school atmosphere so that they feel as if they are
part of the school. To think and meditate on practical realities of teaching.
It also pushes to encourage student teachers to be creative and to develop
their abilities as a professional teacher (Marais & Meier, 2004).
According to Maphosa (2004), teaching
practice is a form of work integrated learning that is described as a period of
time when students are working in the relevant industry to receive specific
in-service training in order to receive applied theory in practice. Shumba and
Shumba (2007) also describe teaching practice as an integral component of
teacher training in order to achieve the standard required for qualified
teacher status, a student teacher is required to do teaching practice in at
least two schools or occasions.
There is no teaching education programme
that can be complete without an effective student teaching practice. Although,
there is a school of thought which says that “teachers are born, not trained”,
the overwhelming view today is that there is need for professional trained
teachers to teach in our schools. This view was echoed by the former Minister
of Education, Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa who expressed his belief that “A
good teacher education programme must seek to assist the individual teacher to
grow and develop as a person, provide him with the necessary skills and
professional abilities that will help him become an effective teacher”. The
type of teacher education under discussion can only be provided through several
strategies one of which is Student Teaching Practice (S.T.P). Therefore the
concept of student teaching practice is deeply rooted in the drive towards the
education and training of component and professional teachers.
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