Do perceptions on teaching practice change over time? : exploring B.Ed primary student teachers' views

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how the main concerns, perceptions and feelings of B.Ed Primary students with regard to different aspects related to Teaching Practice change over time. Moreover, the study establishes whether these perceptions, feelings and concerns which students consider important differ from those considered important by examiners. This dissertation aims to understand how the main concerns of the B.Ed Primary students are dealt during the B.Ed Programme. Through various literature, interviews and focus groups with two cohorts from the B.Ed Primary students, and also through interviews with different examiners, the research question will be answered. The Teaching Practicum is the most critical component which student teachers face during their course. The concerns, perceptions and feelings are evaluated. The main findings concluded that the concerns, perceptions and feelings remain the same from one year group to another. However, in time they might change because students would have gained experience from the previous Teaching Practices. Thus, certain concerns, perceptions and feeling are tackled more easily by the students. This study has also shed light on the examiners' opinion. It was established that these hold the same perceptions, feelings and concerns which student teachers have both before and during the Teaching Practice. Moreover, examiners state that even though the student teachers remain the same, they eventually become more serious from one year to another.