Opportunities and Barriers of Practicum from the Perspectives of English Language Student Teachers

Abstract

The study investigated the perspectives of student teachers regarding the opportunities provided by Practicum course, in addition to the barriers that potentially inhibited their performance as teachers. The descriptive approach was used to identify these opportunities and barriers. Participants were (27) females and (31) males. They were all enrolled in the Practicum course offered by the department of curriculum and instruction to students majoring in English at Najran University. A two-part questionnaire was the main instrument of data collection. The first part investigated the opportunities while the second one sought to identify the barriers. Results showed that Practicum course was effective in certain areas such as developing student teachers' supportive relationships with various participants in the Practicum setting; improving their teaching accomplishments and professional achievements; and enhancing their feelings of self-efficacy in being able to affect positively the students under their care. Findings however revealed many shortcomings or obstacles that hindered their performance as teaching practitioners. Such shortcomings were not related to one specific party but many parties such as academic supervisors, school principals, and cooperating teachers. No significant differences among Participants' perspectives regarding the course's opportunities or barriers were found due to their gender or university accumulative average.