Challenges and Prospects of off Campus Practicum: The Experience of the Physical Education Student Teacher

Abstract

Teaching practice is one of the major ways in teacher preparation. It therefore enhances pre-service teacher preparation and provides opportunity to beginning teachers' to real life situation of teaching and to become socialized into the profession as they put together subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge into lesson delivery. Teacher training institutions year after year put in so much on teaching practice; however, it seems elusive whether the purpose of practicum is harnessed as students take longer time to settle in their various school of practice. The focus of this paper was to investigate the challenges and the prospects of the off campus teaching practice as experienced by the Physical Education (PE) student teacher. The research made use of descriptive survey design. PE student teachers on teaching practice during the 2013/2014 academic year were purposively selected and responded to 3-point Likert Scale questionnaire. Student teachers were asked to respond to statements either they agree, undecided or disagree. It was found that majority 41 (93%) of PE student teachers on practice have positive attitudes towards the practicum. We also found that poor learning environment, lack of teaching equipment, facilities and materials 31(70%), uneasy accessibility of some of the locations by supervisors 25 (57%), mentors not having time to guide the student teacher were some of the major challenges encountered by the PE student teachers. We recommended that orientation should be given to heads of institutions and mentors on their role of teacher preparation and also the new knowledge that only supervisors with PE background 22 (50%) should supervise PE lessons and only lecturers in the Faculty of Education should supervise teaching practice 34 (77%).