Options
The influence of teaching experience on physical education cooperating teachers' perceptions and performance of their tasks and responsibilities in the teaching practicum
Author
Tan, Benjamin Su-Jim
Supervisor
Tan, Steven Kwang San
Abstract
In Singapore, the teaching practicum for trainee teachers (TTs) of the National Institute of Education (NIE) has shifted to the practicum-partnership model. Participating practicum schools can now have a bigger stakehold in the training of teachers. The decision by the Ministry of Education to post TTs to their teaching practicum schools is based on the vacancies of teaching positions available in those schools. Majority of these TTs will eventually be deployed back to the schools as full-fledged teachers after their stint in NIE. Recently, in some schools, there seem to be a growing trend of trained physical education (PE) teachers with less than three years of teaching experience being selected to serve as CTs. Consequently, the biggest concern is whether these teachers have the necessary requisite knowledge and experience that they can draw upon to carry out their CTs' tasks and responsibilities. Also, it is still unclear at this moment what knowledge base PE teachers (both experienced and inexperienced) used when they perceive, prepare and perform their tasks and responsibilities as CTs. It is useful then to understand how and what sources of knowledge inexperienced teachers use to carry out their expected tasks and responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of teaching experience on PE CTs' perceptions, preparation and performance of their tasks and responsibilities in the teaching practicum. The participants in this study were 6 PE CTs from secondary schools. 3 of the CTs had more than 5 years of teaching experience and another 3 with less than 3 years of teaching experience. All the CTs had no prior CT experiences. Qualitative research methods were used in this study. This included: (a) interviews with CTs and TTs, (b) descriptive field notes based on non-participant observations, and (c) document analysis. All interviews were audio taped and later transcribed. These transcriptions, together with texts originating from the researcher's field notes were then analysed to determine the existence of meaningful perspectives, themes and categories. The findings indicated that both the experienced and inexperienced teachers had similar perceptions of their CTs' tasks and responsibilities. They saw themselves as someone who helps their TTs to settle in the school and guide/instruct their TTs in class teaching and management. The CTs' tasks and responsibilities that both groups of teachers perceived and performed were in most part congruent to the NIE's guidelines for CTs. However, both groups of teachers were found to spend very little time monitoring their TTs' teaching. Both groups of teachers would focus predominantly on class and pupil management when they guide/instruct their TTs on teaching. For the experienced teachers, own teaching practice experiences and teaching experiences had shaped the way the perceived and performed CTs' tasks and responsibilities. The inexperienced teachers' perceptions and performance of their CTs' tasks and responsibilities were in part influenced by their own negative experiences as TTs themselves. Inexperienced teachers stated that lack of necessary practical knowledge and experiences had made them less proficient in performing certain supervisory tasks like lesson observations and post-lesson conferences. Both groups of teachers concluded that they needed training to help them carry out their supervisory tasks better. This study will offer directions to NIE on how workshops and seminars can be implemented to assist PE CTs in developing the knowledge and experience so that they could carry out their tasks and responsibilities holistically.
Date Issued
2001
Call Number
GV365.5.S55 Tan
Date Submitted
2001