Student teachers perspectives on their readiness towards teaching practice: A case study in a Malaysian university

Abu Bakar Yusof

Abstract

This paper discusses part of the findings in a case study conducted to student teachers who were in teacher education programme in a selected university. The discussion focuses on the findings of interviews done to the students regarding with their readiness for their teaching practice or teaching practice at schools where there were placed. Open ended interviews were done to randomly ten students who had gone to the schools for their social visit before they go for their teaching practice. Audio data were collected from the participants of the interviews. The data were analysed and categorised thematically. There were main themes of the readiness that emerged from the analysis include social readiness, psychological readiness, general pedagogical knowledge readiness, pedagogical content knowledge readiness and basic skills readiness. The findings show that the student teachers admitted confidently that they were ready socially and psychologically for their teaching practice. They were also had readiness on the aspects of general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and basics skills that will be required for the performing of the teaching practice. These findings might have connection with why most of the students scored higher achievement grade in teaching practice. Therefore further study might also be conducted to acquire clearer picture to be noted about it.

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