Length of teaching practice

In many ways, the fact that the teacher trainer was considered a member of the team implied the act of passing the boundaries of pair teaching and placing a stronger emphasis on the element of cooperation. The above remarks indicate that it was seen important for the trainer to have a reassuring, encouraging and comforting manner, but also, as a team member, the trainer was to facilitate student teachers begin to develop in the direction of cooperation and become aware of what was involved in working in the profession and working together in a group. Seen in terms of successful collaboration, it emerged that the way in which a team worked depended on the trainer’s assistance. The responses also confirmed that it was important to provide a close working relationship within the team and raise a particular awareness of the key aspects of the team process to the student teachers.

In terms of the length of teaching practice, the responses revealed close perceptions. All respondents, who were asked this question, clearly supported the idea that school-based teaching experience should last longer than the existing practices elsewhere (R4). One of those interviewed (R1) thought the period of a semester was adequate; however, three trainees (R2, R3 and R4) out of four expressed preference for teacher training to take even longer than one semester. The following account illustrates these points.

Maybe the whole year would be better. But I think half a year is not that bad because it is much better than the teaching practice at other universities…because I have some friends who attend other colleagues and…my sister as well…and I think they have ten weeks for the teaching experience. I think this is very insufficient. (R4)

The above comparison not only distinguished the difference between programmes in teacher education, but evaluated the one at CETT, taking into account that to teach a group of learners over longer time “was absolutely needed” (R2). The findings of the study demonstrated three major reasons for making the length of teaching practice plausible. First, the portion of time was needed for the majority of trainees to be able to develop. For instance, it was mentioned that the period was necessary for trainees “to become professional” (R3). In this regard, another trainee claimed that “it needs a lot of time and we can learn a lot of things during this period” (R2). Although, a more profound understanding of the comments was not elaborated by the respondents, such thoughts indicated that the length of the teaching experience was needed to ensure that intending teachers made progress. The remarks must have been associated with the increase in the trainees’ confidence in their general teaching skills. The interpretations in this case were supported by my classroom observation field notes which also proved that by the end of the teaching experience student teachers became more confident in planning and conducting lessons. The observation field notes contained evidence that

trainees had gained confidence in their ability to assess, discipline and control students effectively. Some illustrative examples from my field notes written towards the end of teaching practice are given below:

I observed that the teachers followed exactly what they had planned.

I observed that the teachers had prepared meaningful links between the stages of the lesson.

I noticed that the teachers organized pair work and group work smoothly and effectively.

I heard that the teachers responded and provided feedback to students.

I observed that all students were involved in the task.

(Researcher’s observation field notes)

Furthermore, it was found that the longer teaching practice was useful for the beginner teachers to learn about long-term goals and how they could be achieved. Last but not least, support for the length of teaching practice was identified in the trainees’ ability to articulate their views about the process of teaching and communicate their reflections in the interviews after the period of teaching experience.

Second, an extended teaching practice was regarded important to see the period as a whole and to experience its different stages (R2 and R4). The trainees illustrated that it had been essential to have enough time to familiarize themselves with the evolution of the educational process of working with a group of students, from the opening until the end of the school term and learn about how the atmosphere changed at the different stages of the course. Third, responses indicated that the length of the teaching experience was crucial to ensure that beginner teachers (a) became familiar with the group, (b) got accustomed to working in a team and (c) established a good relationship with the partner (R4). The strongest case (R3 and R4) of relations in this study was the

one where the two trainees had begun their teaching practice without knowing each other. In the further contact with the partner described by Respondent 4, elements of peer relationship and friendship were in evidence to have developed throughout the period. Although it was difficult to tell from the interview the extent to which the personal relationship between the partners had developed, there was evidence for the importance of the time factor. As it appeared from the analysis of data, the length of the teaching experience was needed to ensure that peers “get used to it and to begin to love it” (R1). In this respect, concerning time, interviewees reflected:

With time you realize that it works. (R3)

It took us time to get used to each other. I think the first two months or maybe a bit longer… it was strange…I do not know....it was an unusual situation and it took time to get used to it. and it was because when we started the Teaching Practice, we did not know each other…OK…we had met at the university a few times and we knew each other’s names but we had not had any closer relationship and it took us some time to realize that we like each other…I can say that we became friends but it was around November when we realized that we could cooperate more and better. (R4)

In summary, reflections indicated that the initial phase of teaching practice had been the least successful period, whereas the later period had brought rewards. In particular, in terms of professional and personal relations, the opportunities to better cooperate and develop through the establishment of effective relationship appeared strongly associated with the extended period of teaching practice. The interpretations seemed to suggest that although teaching practice was intrinsically rewarding for its own sake, engagement in a prolonged form of experience might be extremely beneficial in the sense that peer cooperation could contribute to the personal development of individuals over time.