| Summary: | Although studies in student teachers' perceptions of change in their
practical knowledge over the course of a teaching practicum have been
undertaken, almost no studies exist reporting perceptions of change by
student teachers in the field of English as a Second Language (ESL). One
study researching such changes in ESL student teachers' practical
knowledge, over a sixteen-week period, found that changes occurred in
student teachers' abilities to set up and carry out lessons, use classroom
space, select content, and treat student errors. Another study, using
dialogue journals as a method of data collection, found that over a tenweek
practicum period, student teachers reported changes in their
perceptions of methods and activities, teaching techniques, and lesson
organization. The present study seeks to add to the body of knowledge in
this area by investigating the changes which occurred in five ESL student
teachers' perceptions of their practical knowledge over the course of a 20-
hour practicum. It also describes these student teachers' comments as to
how aspects of the teaching course content and practicum might have
been developed or expanded to facilitate their practicum experiences.
The study found that changes in teachers' perceptions of their practical
knowledge occurred in different areas, depending on such agents as
student-sponsor teacher relationships, rapport with students, and
experiences during the practicum period. Absence of change was
attributed to several factors, among them, that some of the scaled items
used for data collection may have been exclusively applicable to
elementary and secondary school classrooms, as well as the short nature
of the practicum. Expectations of the student teachers in their practicum
settings is also another factor affecting absence of change. All of the
student teachers thought that modifications to the course content (i.e., a
more practical and less theoretical focus), and a lengthening of the
practicum component would have been beneficial in heightening their
feelings of competence and confidence in teaching.
Further studies should attempt to document changes in student teachers'
perceptions, matching them with actual teaching abilities perceived
through the practicum period, by way of participant-observation, interviews
with student teachers, sponsor teachers, practicum supervisors, and ESL
students. Research regarding sponsor-student teacher relationships and
gender is also recommended. === Education, Faculty of === Language and Literacy Education (LLED), Department of === Graduate
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