Teaching Practice Experiences of Trainee Biology Teachers: Challenges and Possible Panacea
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
- To understand the perceptions of Biology student-teachers on teaching practice supervision
- To understand the impacts of teaching practice supervision on Biology student-teachers
- To understand the challenges faced by Biology student-teachers during teaching practice supervision
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of Teaching as a Profession
According to Tricart, J. (2009), Education remains the bedrock of every society. Therefore, any nation that toys with education is definitely sitting on a keg of gunpowder and this is bound to explode. For the goals of education to be achieved in a nation, the principal actor of learning is the teacher. This becomes a reality through effective teaching and pleasant learning as basic means to nurture productive citizens. The multidinous professional roles and qualities of the teachers blend to make up an effective teacher. When a good teacher brings his/her abilities and visions for a better society to bear on his/her teaching, he/she shall become a unique, responsive professional who would continually see himself/herself accountable for the educational progress and failure of their entrusted youths.
Ehindero S. (2010) Teaching is one of the most influential professions in society. In their day-to-day work, teachers can and do make huge differences to children’s lives. Directly, through the curriculum they teach, and indirectly, through their behaviour, attitude, values, relationships with an interest in pupils.
Kappan P.D (2007) Good teachers are always optimistic about what their pupils can achieve, whatever their background or circumstances. They know from experience how pupils respond to success by succeeding further. But teaching involves more than care, mutual respect and well-placed optimism. It demands knowledge and practical skills, the ability to make informed judgments, and to balance pressure and challenges, practice and creativity, interest and effort, as well as an understanding of how children learn and develop.
Oyekan (2016) asserts that teaching is a noble profession that calls for the highest degree of responsibility. It is a creative, intellectually demanding and rewarding job, so the standards for joining the profession must be high too. Skilled practitioners can make teaching look easy but they have learned their skilled and improved them through training, practice, evaluation and learning from their colleagues.
Awoniyi (2005) a professional teacher with creative imagination for nurturing healthy and responsible citizenry could also become a respectable scholar, administrator and a good human being. Hence, teaching should be professionalized with necessary infrastructure and laws to give it the honour and dignity it deserves. It is informed by the fact that functional education is a potent tool to inject competent manpower resources into the economy to improve the general well being of the populace.
The criticality of education in productive human life is our solid base of collective confidence for sustainable development and environment. Nigeria is abundantly endowed with human and national resources that could be harnessed as ingredients to building a great and virile nation. With an expensive capacity of productive citizenry blessed with vast fertile land, water and mineral resources, Nigeria has sufficient potentials with development projects for suitable political leadership and vibrant economy. It becomes imperative for the government to utilizing the collective capacity and vision of the existing professions imbued with the cream of the society.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine Teaching practice experiences of trainee Biology teachers: challenges and possible panacea. Selected secondary schools in Ogun state form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Teaching practice experiences of trainee Biology teachers: challenges and possible panacea. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of the teaching practice experiences of trainee Biology teachers: challenges and possible panacea.
Summary
This study was on teaching practice experiences of trainee Biology teachers: challenges and possible panacea. Three objectives were raised which included: To understand the perceptions of Biology student-teachers on teaching practice supervision, to understand the impacts of teaching practice supervision on Biology student-teachers and to understand the challenges faced by Biology student-teachers during teaching practice supervision. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected secondary schools in Ogun state. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
Classroom management represents one of the major challenges identified by student-teachers during their teaching practice experience. Classroom management is challenging for student teachers due to the difficulty providing realistic situation in the educational studies classroom prior to student teaching. Contributing to this are classroom dynamics that vary widely depending on the level of the classes, the time of day and the students. This approach provides a practical approach that still falls short of simulating the experience but exposes student to real-life situations, expectations and strategies in regard to dealing with classroom management.
Student- teachers are expected to get the supervisors feedback to enable them take corrections and make amends. The attainment of quality education will be a mirage without adequate preparation of manpower that will dispense the knowledge. This calls for serious consideration of stipulated strategies to be adopted in tackling the challenges which student teachers face
Recommendation
Based on the findings of this research, the following recommendations are made:
- Proper attention should be given to the classroom management by the student -teachers in order to achieve the objectives at the end of the lesson in the classroom.
- The Student -teachers should be provided with lodging accommodation by the practicing schools.
- Adequate curriculum guidelines, facilities, reference materials like textbooks e.t.c. should be made available to facilitate effective and efficient teaching and learning.
- There is need for the government to provide good library facilities and laboratories.
- Students’ teachers should be sent to high quality schools with enabling learning environment.
- Student-teacher should learn how to write lesson note before going to teaching practices.
References
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