AN EVALUATION OF THE PROBLEMS FACED BY STUDENT TEACHERS DURING TEACHING PRACTICE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Every stage in life is faced with its own problem, some are inherited and be minimized while others are not and have solution but due to man’s inability to proof difficulties away in life at one time or the other life is surrounded. The Nigeria students are faced with a number of problems which affect their academic as a result of this lost interest in their academic work. Furthermore, insecurity problem is another difficult being faced by students in tertiary institutions, secret cult members pose a threat to a number of students who are not parts of them, large number of students have been injured, while others have lost their lives.
Teaching practice has been defined by Ndagi (1980) as the teaching which those training for teaching or any education work are engaged in a specified period of time on graduation under a supervisor or supervisor guiding, directing and assessing trainee teacher. In some cases, the student teachers first under studies a master craftman that under a classroom teacher before he or she starts to teach. It is a very important scheme which has been in existence since the introduction of education course in teacher training certificates (T. T. C.), Nigeria Certificate in Education (N. C. E.), programme make teaching practice compulsory and no candidate is awarded certificate until teaching practice like house-manship in the training by medical doctors is the most important e1lement in the professional training of teachers across the world. The importance of teaching practice in teacher education programme cannot be overemphasized. It is the crucial periods of the theoretical concept in translating theory into practice the student teachers have been facing a lot of difficulties which they have dealt with for effective teaching and learning to take place. This research work will therefore attempt to discuss and investigate the difficulties the student teachers undergo and will finally suggest ways for which teaching practice exercise can be improved.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Student teachers faced some problems during teaching practice (finance, material) in our schools because they are perhaps not well taught or made to realize the importance of this programme and likely problems he or she might face during the exercise. In some situations it means that their interest in the teaching practice have not been motivated. For the goal of teaching to be achieved in Nigeria. It will be necessary for the ministry of education at all levels of government to find solutions to the problem being faced by the student teachers during the teaching practice exercise. Such problems include lack of instructional materials, incentives, accommodation and office facilities for the student teachers heavy work load given to the student teachers, lack of cooperation from their practicing schools attitude of the pupils towards the student teachers and difficulty on the part of student teacher to manage his class effectively etc. the extent to which these problems are being addressed and recommendation made constitute the problem of study.
SCOPE OF STUDY
These problems are limited to student teachers during teaching practice exercise and its common to all the student teachers in Nigeria schools.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purposes of this study are as follows:
1. Examine the various methods adopted by student teachers during their teaching practice
2. To investigate the problems faced by student teachers during teaching practice
3. To suggest possible solutions to the problems of student teachers during teaching practices in our schools.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will contribute immensely toward improving the standard of teaching practice exercise. The students become significant as if highlights the problems controlling student teachers in teaching practice and how these problems can be solved. The result of the finding will be of great values to the government, students and school administrators, the government will be aware of the problems student teachers face when ever they go on teaching practice and this enables them to provide adequate facilities to schools.
It will also contribute a great deal toward student teachers’ realization of some problems they are likely to face during the teaching practice exercise and prepare themselves against the problems before they go out for the task. This work will also enable the supervisors and teaching practice organizers to appreciate the problems student teachers face during teaching practices.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study is based on the following research questions
1. Do the student teachers have the necessary teaching facilities in the schools of practices?
2. Are the student teachers given the amount of work load they can cope with in their practicing schools?
3. Is the non provision of accommodation problem faced by student teachers?
4. Does the lack of office facilities for the student teachers constitute a problem faced by them during teaching practice exercise?
5. Are there incentives given by schools to student teachers?
6. Do student teachers find it easy to control their students in the practicing schools?
7. Do student teachers find it easy to prepare a lesson note?
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Incentive: token in form of cash or material items given to student teachers.
Instructional methods: the discussion method is one in which the students and the teacher exchange their ideals in order to get a better understanding of a topic. It can be a whole period or be a part of a lesson.
Teaching: the act of giving out instruction for the purpose of imparting knowledge from one person to another or a group of people.
Learning: learning means to gain knowledge of skill by study. Practice or being taught (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary).
Lecture method: this is one of the most widely used method of teaching, the teacher talk continuously to the students, take note of facts or ideas that are important to the lesson been taught.