CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The importance of Teaching
Practice in teacher education programme cannot be over-emphasized. It is a period
to test the student-teacher ability in classroom teaching and learning
situation. It is also referred to as a crucial period, where the student
teachers put into practice all the theoretical concepts they have acquired in
course of their programme. In translating theory into practices, student
teachers encounter a lot of difficulties which they have to battle with for
effective teaching and learning to take place.
Many educationists believed that the teaching practice is the must
vital part of teacher education programme - every year in colleges of education
and universities in Nigeria thousands of students were sent into schools to
practice the act of teaching after
many years of
studying in variety
of institution, they find themselves as absolute beginners in the
profession they have chosen and in which many of them spent a considerable part
of their lives.
Many educator like Cohen and
Gainer (1979), Afe (1990) and Khinzla (1990) believed that Teaching Practice is
the most vital part of the teaching profession few would challenge the
contention that the students practice in school should be a focal point of all
the other training he receives.
It is on this occasion that
he has his first opportunity to put into application some of the psychology,
method and principles he has learned theoretically in lecture method.
Recently there has been a lot of concern about Teaching Practice
on how to provide practical experience for teacher trainees in teacher
education and helping teacher trainees to acquire, practice or refine their
teaching skills, its effectiveness and purpose how far this has been achieved ,
these concern variously expressed by some educationist; student themselves and
the mass media.
The research work therefore
attempts in bringing to light some of these problems and solutions.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
Teaching Practice is a period during which teachers to be are
brought into the reality of what their professional field really look like and
what it demands of them when it comes to teaching, there are remarkable
difference between theory and practice. Year in year out student teachers are
confronted with manifold of problems which they can cope with or cannot cope
with depending on the circumstance surrounding the problems. It is against this
background that this study appraises some of the problems and solutions
confronting teaching practice, and what solutions have been advanced toward
resolving this problem.
1.3 RESEARCH
QUESTION
i.
Would there by any
significant difference between pre-service teachers in College of Education and
that of the University of Benin in their appraisal of the problems associated
with teaching practice?
ii.
Would there be any
significant difference between pre-service teachers in College of Education and
that of University of Benin in their appraisal of the solutions to the
problems confronting students
Teaching Practices?
1.4 HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses have been
propounded in order to give guide to this research;
(i)
There are no significant
differences between pre-service teacher in College of Education and that of the
University of Benin in their appraisal of the problems associated with teaching
practice.
(ii)
There is no
significant difference
between pre-service teachers in college of education and that of university of Benin
in their appraisal of the solution to the problems confronting Teaching
Practice.
1.5 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is
to appraise some of the problems
student teachers faced during Teaching Practices and to find possible solutions
to the problems so as to make the aim of teaching practice a reality.
The study is also geared
towards making the student teacher become aware of what the profession demand
and what it takes to be a good teacher and to function properly in the same
capacity in a school environs-It is also
geared towards making
conclusion as to whether the assumption held by different
people as regards the problems faced by student teachers and possible solutions
are genuine or not genuine.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The research is carried out
to know the problem that student teachers encounter during teaching practice
and how the problem could be solved.
Firstly, the student teacher
wiil be made to realize the importance of this programme and likely problems he
might face during this period. This knowledge will therefore make it easier for
him to cope will these problems with less difficulty. It will be enable the
teaching practice organizer or co-ordinator to ensure that proper training is
given to their student especially on their different subject areas before
sending them out for practice.
The supervising lecturer
will also no doubt gain from this research work. They will be made aware of the
concerns of these student teachers and therefore be sympathetic in their
assessment method.
The ministries of education
will also be aware of the student's teacher attitudes towards teaching practice
and problems faced by them, so as to know how to help them of these problem and
it will also aid the achievement of the aims and objectives of teaching
practice in teaching education.
Lastly, the outcome of this
study will increase the volume of this literature in the area of problem faced
by student teachers and possible solution,
1.7 SCOPE AND
DELIMITATION OF STUDY
The scope of this research
is delimited to the problems facing the student teachers during teaching
practice and possible solution to these problems. Student with teaching
practice experience were the sample of this study- They are College of
Education students and students in the Faculty of Education, University of
Benin.
1.8 LIMITATION OP STUDY
It would have been possible
to extend the study to cover many institution as possible but for the limiting
factor of time and finance.
More also the researcher was
faced with the problem ol scarcity of material because few recent works were
available for the research topic:
DEFINITION OF TERMS
i.
Education: A process whereby a person receives ideas, skills,
and knowledge that would not have received in his ordinary environment through
the traditional family or community educative process.
ii.
Profession: This
is the occupation that
requires specialized training.
iii.
Individual difference: Individual
invariably differ from one and other. In the extent and manner of their growth
and development progress tends not to be uniform in all areas within the
individual e,g, physical growth may progress at a different rate than
intellectual growth.