From Theory to Practice: Pre-Service Teachers’ Experience (Published)
The aim of the study was to investigate pre-service teachers’ perspectives of their training programme based on the off-campus teaching practice they engaged in as well as challenges faced. The study adopted the mixed method approach. The sample for the study was 196 students who were final year students of the Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre. Questionnaire was developed to elicit responses for the participants. The study revealed positive perspectives of the participants on the preparatory programme. They were also able to apply the professional knowledge and skills gained in the classroom indicating a smooth transition of theory to practice. However, the study participants reported some challenges encountered, which need to be addressed by the schools where the pre-teachers go for internship to enhance such future exercises.
Keywords: Internship, Micro-Teaching, Theory, practice
Perceptions of Mentees on the One Semester Internship Programme of University of Education, Winneba (Published)
Effective teacher training forms the bedrock of effective instructions and consequently higher educational outcomes in the various institutions of learning. This study examined the perceptions of Social Studies students on the effectiveness of the one semester internship programme of the University of Education, Winneba. The targeted population for the study was the 2014/2015 interns of the department of Social Studies Education of the University of Education, Winnneba (UEW). Comprehensive sampling was used and all the interns of the department of Social Studies Education who were willing and able were involved in the study. Open-ended questionnaires were used to gather data for the study. The outcome of the study showed that the one-semester internship was not adequate to equip interns with the competencies of the teaching profession due to the brevity of the period amid extra-curricular activities in first and second cycle institutions which does not give them adequate time for practice. In addition, the study showed that interns faced various degrees of challenges among which were the unwillingness of mentors to mentor them, inadequate time to conduct action as demanded by the university among others. Respondents were therefore, of the view that the internship programme should be reversed to one year to give room for adequate practice.
Keywords: Interns, Internship, Mentors, Novices