Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceived Knowledge and Competence in Writing a Lesson Plan (Published)
This paper critically reviews pre-service teachers’ knowledge and competence in lesson planning, with a focus on the disconnect between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Lesson planning is defined as a multifaceted cognitive and professional skill involving the integration of content knowledge, pedagogy, awareness of learners and assessment. Leveraging recent literature, the research shows that although pre-service teachers may have knowledge of lesson planning elements, they often struggle to align teaching and learning objectives with teaching, learning and assessment strategies. One of the key observations is the ongoing mismatch between self-reported and actual competence, where pre-service teachers’ self-confidence often outstrips their instructional ability. Moreover, the study underscores the growing relevance of technological competence in lesson planning, with varying levels of pre-service teachers’ competence to incorporate technology in lesson planning. Furthermore, factors such as insufficient teaching experiences, lack of mentoring and contextual factors, especially in developing countries, play a major role in competence development. This paper concludes that lesson planning competence is dependent on the interplay of cognitive, technological, experiential and contextual factors. It concludes that to improve teacher education, there needs to be an emphasis on moving from a knowledge-focused to a competence-focused approach, with a focus on experience, reflection and digital integration to enhance teaching.
Keywords: Pre-Service Teachers, Teacher Education, digital pedagogy, lesson planning competence, perceived knowledge