Examining Teachers’ Perspectives on the Factors Affecting their Relationship with Student-Teachers during Teaching Practice Sessions – A Case of Schools in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Universities offering teacher education programmes are expected to subject their student-teachers to real classroom-related activities in schools. A friendly and harmonious relationship between the subject-teachers and student-teachers is critical for successful teaching practice. Researchers were triggered by prevailing poor relations between these two parties. The thrust of the research was to examine subject-teachers’ perspectives on factors affecting their relations with student-teachers during teaching practice sessions in schools in the Eastern Cape Province. A case study research design was adopted in this research. A qualitative research approach was employed. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data face-to-face from the six participating teachers. A purposive sampling method was used for the selection of two participants from each of the three secondary schools that were convenient to the researchers’ proximity and actively involved in teaching practice sessions. It emerged that there are factors that affect the relationship between student-teachers and mentors during teaching practice. To mention a few, there is unpreparedness on the part of student-teachers in classroom-related activities and limited mentoring and coaching skills on the part of mentors. It was recommended that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) officials and teachers should collaborate with universities to design short learning programmes to capacitate them with the required skills. Universities should equip their student-teachers through orientation and with relevant modules. The research will contribute to drawing the attention of stakeholders like Universities offering teacher education programmes, DBE officials, principals, teachers, alumni, representatives of student-teachers and researchers to collaborate in programme reviews and development. Keywords: Mentors, Teaching Practice, Student Teachers, Classroom Management, Mentoring and Coaching