CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Teaching practice exercise is a central issue on the training of would be professional teachers. Any ideal profession requires some characteristics trait and qualities that must be satisfied for it is to be regarded. Teaching is widely recognized as one of the major professions would over. Thus, there is much need for it to meet up with the basic requirements of a profession. Apart from the provision of social services, possession of professional ethnics and practice autonomy, the training of intending professional both in theoretical and practical skills and crucial.
Teaching is intended to expose students to the needed practical aspect of their chosen career (Jegede 2009). The prospective professional teachers are there by acquainted with the basic tools to cope with the challenges of their career.
Teaching is an age long profession and as such the commonest of all. Teaching is a process of impacting knowledge into the students by someone regarded to be more knowledge i.e the teacher.
Many notions are conceived by people of teaching or what it involves to teach, the commonest is that of a teacher standing in front of some learners in the classroom holding writing materials (chalkboard or board marker) and presenting some learning task to them (cohel at al 2015).
However, Barth 2005, viewed teaching in three ways:
1. Teaching could be what is taught, as a doctrine or body of knowledge, such as the teachings of the church which could otherwise be referred to a body of ideas or system of belief.
2. Teaching could as well refer to process of making things known to others or sharing with them in an organized school.
3. Teaching could also mean an occupation or a profession, which one engage in for a living.
From these perspectives of Buth 2005, it can be inferred that teaching is a profession that provides a special service for a set of people. The major focus of any teaching encounter is the impartation of knowledge and skills capable of developing the learners to become a functional member of his/her society.
This aligns with the view of Oyekan(2006) that teaching is an all purpose profession engage in human resources development for individual and economic growth. It thus becomes imperative that prospective teachers be exposed to programme that would inculcate in them desirable teaching traits and competence.
Ogbaz in Jegede, (2009) noted that one of the problems of industrial development in Nigeria is that of inadequately of sufficiently trained human resources.
These much needed resources were enumerated by Jegede (2009) to include qualified teachers and workshop attendants and felt that there should be joint involvement between the institutions and the industrial world to produce skilled graduates that would adequately serve the society.
Barth (2009) as well organized that students are expected to be exposed some relevant activities during their training that will provide them with the desired practice skills. Teaching practice exercise is an effective means of helping pre-service teachers learn about reflect upon effective training practice, it provides a link between theory and practice.
This agrees with the opinion of Ethien (2009) that work experience develop confidence and personally as well as increases awareness of one’s responsibility as a youth in the community by getting assists the students to have insight into the stress and tension that may be experienced in the transition from school to school.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Teaching practice is a period when student teachers are given opportunity to try the art of teaching before actually getting into the real world of teaching profession. Inspite of the observed relevance and purpose of the teaching practice in teacher preparatory programme, a number of challenges appear to hamper realization of its objectives in the professional growth of students in training. Many student teachers get agitated about entering the classrooms to take up teaching tasks in unfamiliar environment. According to Kiggundu and Nayimuli (2009) such mixed feelings can contribute to the making or discouraging of student teacher.
However, it is observed that this period of practice is riddled with so many problems for these students on teaching practice, thereby making improved knowledge sometimes a mirage. This study therefore seeks to find out the problems facing teaching practice teachers on teaching practice and means of alleviating them.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to examine the analysis of problems of teaching practice teachers in Nigeria and suggest solutions in order to remedy the already existing problems.
Basically, the purpose is aimed at the following:
· To determine the strategies that could be adopted to improve the teaching practice programme.
· To identify the problems encountered by student teacher during teaching practice period.
· To identify the challenges encountered by supervisor during the supervision of their student in teaching practice period.
· To identify student teacher’s problem resulting from the supervision.
· To ascertain the problems of the student teachers resulting from the practicing school.
1.4 RESEARCHING QUESTIONS
The under listed questions are formulated for the purpose of this research.
1. Do trainee teachers have poor classroom interactions with their students?
2. Do trainee teachers produce and make use of adequate instructional materials?
3. How positive is the trainee teacher’s attitude to teaching practice?
4. Do trainee teachers have self-confidence with their pupils?
5. What are the challenges faced by student teachers during teaching practice?
6. What are the challenges faced by supervisors when supervising students during teaching practice?
1.5 SIGNIGICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is expected that the results of the study will make the teaching policy makers, curriculum developers, and administrators from both institutions and others sharing the same characteristics with them to see the need for an improvement in teaching practice exercise and the entire teacher education programme in general. The result of the study is also expected to take teaching to an enviable position occupied by other professional that are highly celebrated like medicine, engineering, and law. The findings of this research work will go a long way in making the teaching practice exercise a befitting one for the following persons or bodies.
1. The teaching practice teachers are made to realize the importance of the programme and likely challenges he/she might face during the period. This is achieved from the exposition made of the challenges involved in teaching practice. As a result, the student teacher will get himself/herself ready for any of such challenges.
2. It will make the practicing school management to be aware that teaching practice teachers are facing challenges during their teaching practice exercise and practicing school management will be ready to give them maximum assistance and co-operation. Based on this, the practicing school will equally benefit from the findings of the research work.
3. The planners and organizers of teaching practice for effectiveness of the programme. They should make sure that slated period of teaching practice do not clash with normal lectures in the school.
4. The supervising lecturers will equally gain from the findings of this research work, because they will be aware of the concerns of the student teachers. This awareness, will make the supervisors adjust and be friendly to the student teachers. They will also assist student teachers in their areas of difficulty.
This study is significant in the sense that, it will reveal the problems facing teaching practice teachers during teaching practice exercise and how they can be solved.