BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESIS

Transcription

1 UTPSZ 19:16 (Pind.1/97) UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA BORANG PENGESAHAN STATUS TESIS JUDUL: LECTURERS AND TESL TEACHER TRAINEES PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE LEVEL OF READINESS IN PERFORMING TEACHING PRACTICE SESI PENGAJIAN: 2007/2008 Saya SHEREENA A/P SREETHARAM (HURUF BESAR) mengaku membenarkan tesis (PSM/Sarjana/Doktor Falsafah)* ini disimpan di Perpustakaan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia dengan syarat-syarat kegunaan seperti berikut: 1. Tesis adalah hakmilik Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. 2. Perpustakaan Universiti Teknologi Malaysia dibenarkan membuat salinan untuk tujuan pengajian sahaja. 3. Perpustakaan dibenarkan membuat salinan tesis ini sebagai bahan pertukaran antara institusi pengajian tinggi. 4. **Sila tandakan ( ) SULIT TERHAD (Mengandungi maklumat yang berdarjah keselamatan atau kepentingan Malaysia seperti yang termaktub di dalam AKTA RAHSIA RASMI 1972). (Mengandungi maklumat TERHAD yang telah ditentukan oleh organisasi/badan di mana penyelidikan dijalankan). TIDAK TERHAD Disahkan oleh (TANDATANGAN PENULIS) Alamat Tetap: NO.17 JALAN TERATAI 63, TAMAN JOHOR JAYA, 81100, JOHOR BAHRU, JOHOR. (TANDATANGAN PENYELIA) PUAN HALIZA BINTI JAAFAR NAMA PENYELIA Tarikh : 2 MEI 2008 Tarikh : 2 MEI 2008 CATATAN: * Potong yang tidak berkenaan ** Jika tesis ini SULIT atau TERHAD, sila lampirkan surat daripada pihak berkuasa/organisasi berkenaan dengan menyatakan sekali sebab dan tempoh tesis ini perlu dikelaskan sebagai SULIT atau TERHAD.

2 I hereby declare that I have read this thesis and in my opinion this thesis is sufficient in terms of scope and quality for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science with Education (TESL). Signature : Name of Supervisor : PUAN HALIZA JAAFAR Date : 2 MEI 2008

3 i LECTURERS AND TESL TEACHER TRAINEES PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE LEVEL OF READINESS IN PERFORMING TEACHING PRACTICE SHEREENA A/P SREETHARAM A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science with Education (TESL) Faculty of Education Universiti Teknologi Malaysia APRIL 2008

4 ii I declare that this thesis entitled Lecturers and TESL Teacher Trainees Perceptions Towards the Level of Readiness in Performing Teaching Practice is the result of my own research except as cited in the references. The thesis has not been accepted for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature of any other degree. Signature :.. Name : SHEREENA A/P SREETHARAM Date : 2 MEI 2008

5 iii This piece of work is dedicated to my beloved parents, Mr. Sreetharam and Mrs. Padmavathi, brothers Denesh Kumar and Arunesh Kumar to my special one and friends

6 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It has been a privilege for me to work with my inspiring supervisor, Puan Haliza Jaafar. I would like to acknowledge the support I have received from her in producing this piece of work. In particular, I would like to thank her for ensuring that the work reached fruition. I have obtained considerable insights while working under the supervision of her. I would also like to thank a number of lecturers from FPPSM and the third and final year TESL students who have contributed whether directly or indirectly to this study. Their experiences and their insights have helped shape this study. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to my beloved parents, Mr. Sreetharam and Mrs. Padmavathi as well as my brothers, Denesh Kumar and Arunesh Kumar, and to my special one Krishnan for their assistance and support throughout completing this study. My deepest thanks to all.

7 v ABSTRACT Teaching practice is a course offered to teacher trainees of the Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. This course will enable the trainees to practice their teaching skills under the guidance of a supervisor. The research was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of the subjects taught to the teacher trainees before their teaching practice and to determine the level of readiness in terms of subject knowledge and subject competence of the teacher trainees. The respondents of this research were 34 and 39 third and fourth year TESL students respectively. The respondents were required to answer the questionnaires. Five lecturers who had taught the TESL programme and went out to supervise the teacher trainees from the Department of Modern Language (FPPSM) participated in the interview sessions. All the data obtained from the questionnaires and interview sessions were analyzed manually. The findings of this research proved that the exposure to the several subjects before teaching practice really helped the teacher trainees in performing their teaching practice. The teacher trainees were able to apply all the skills and techniques gained in the real classroom context. However, this research proved that many of the teacher trainees were not prepared in terms of subject knowledge and subject competence. Most of the trainees do not have deep understanding on subject knowledge and are still encountering problems in terms of their language proficiency. To conclude, the findings of this research offered some recommendations to further improve the performance of TESL teacher trainees during the teaching practice. The suggestions given would help the teacher trainees to enhance the level of readiness in terms of their subject knowledge and subject competence. This would enable the trainees to perform their teaching practice more effectively.

8 vi ABSTRAK Latihan Mengajar adalah suatu kursus yang ditawarkan kepada guru-guru pelatih Fakulti Pendidikan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Kursus ini akan memberikan ruang kepada guru-guru pelatih untuk melatih kemahiran mengajar mereka di bawah penyeliaan guru pembimbing. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji keberkesanan subjek-subjek yang telah ditawarkan kepada guru-guru pelatih sebelum mereka menjalani latihan mengajar. Selain itu, kajian ini juga bertujuan untuk menilai tahap kesediaan guru-guru pelatih dari segi kesediaan pengetahuan dalam bidang mereka serta kecekapan subjek pengajaran mereka. Responden kajian ini terdiri daripada 34 orang guru pelatih (TESL) tahun tiga dan 39 orang guru pelatih(tesl) tahun empat. Responden telah menjawab satu set borang soal-selidik yang telah diedarkan. Lima orang pensyarah dari Fakulti Pengurusan dan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia yang mempunyai pengalaman mengajar subjek-subjek TESL serta telah menyelia guru-guru pelatih telah ditemuramah. Semua maklumat yang diperolehi melalui borang soal-selidik serta temuramah telah dianalisis secara manual. Hasil dapatan kajian ini membuktikan bahawa pendedahan beberapa subjek kepada guru-guru pelatih sebelum mereka menjalani latihan mengajar amat membantu mereka semasa menjalani latihan mengajar. Guru-guru pelatih dapat mengaplikasikan semua kemahiran dan teknik yang telah dipelajari dalam konteks pengajaran yang sebenar. Walaubagaimanapun, kajian ini membuktikan bahawa kebanyakkan guru pelatih tidak bersedia dari aspek kesediaan pengetahuan dalam bidang mereka serta kecekapan subjek pengajaran mereka. Guruguru pelatih ini tidak mempunyai pengetahuan yang mendalam dalam bidang mereka serta masih menghadapi masalah dalam penguasaan bahasa. Selain itu, hasil dapatan kajian ini juga memberikan beberapa cadangan yang dapat mempertingkatkan lagi tahap kesediaan guru-guru pelatih TESL dari aspek kesediaan pengetahuan dalam bidang mereka serta kecekapan subjek pengajaran mereka. Ini membolehkan guru-guru pelatih menunjukkan prestasi yang lebih baik semasa menjalani latihan mengajar.

9 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER TITLE PAGE DECLARATION DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABSTRACT ABSTRAK TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS LIST OF APPENDICES ii iii iv v vi vii-xi xii xiv xv xvi 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Background of the problem Statement of problem Objectives of the research Research questions Significance of the study Scope of the study Definition of the terms 10

10 viii Subject knowledge Subject competence Knowledge Conclusion 11 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Teaching Practice Objectives of teaching practice The importance of teaching practice Characteristics of a good teacher Commitment to students and their learning Knowledge of subjects Ability to manage and monitor students learning Ability to think about teaching and learn from experiences Participation in learning communities Elements of good teaching 20

11 ix 2.2 Teaching as a Profession Knowledge of Learners and Their Development Knowledge of Subject Matter and Curriculum Goals Knowledge of Teaching Teacher Training Programmes Teacher s Education Curriculum in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Compulsory Courses Core Programme Courses Teacher s Subject Matter Knowledge Content Knowledge Pedagogical Content Knowledge Curriculum Knowledge Subject Competence Implications for Teacher Preparation Conclusion 37 3 METHODOLOGY Introduction Respondents Research Instruments Questionnaires Interviews Research Procedures Administration of Questionnaires 44

12 x Administration of the Interview Data Analysis Conclusion 46 4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS Introduction Findings Background Information Gender of the respondents Race of the respondents Year of study of the respondents Experience in teaching English Subject Competence Effectiveness of the courses taught Level of readiness in terms of subject knowledge Level of readiness in terms of subject competence Discussions Effectiveness of the courses taught Level of readiness in terms of subject knowledge Level of readiness in terms of subject competence Conclusion 80

13 xi 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction Conclusions Recommendations based on findings Recommendations for future research 91 BIBLIOGRAPHY 92 APPENDICES 96

14 xii LIST OF TABLES TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE 2.3 Syllabus of a TESL training programme Course Components for Bachelor of Science in Education (TESL) Responses Based on the Frequency and Percentage for the Effectiveness of the Courses Taught to the Teacher Trainees Responses Based on the Frequency for the Effectiveness of the Courses Taught Responses Based on the Frequency and Percentage for the Level of Readiness in Terms of Subject Matter Responses Based on the Frequency and Percentage for the Level of Readiness in Terms of Subject Knowledge Responses Based on the Frequency and

15 xiii Percentage for the Level of Readiness in Terms of Subject Competence Responses Based on the Frequency and Percentage for the Level of Readiness in Terms of Subject Competence (Practices and Skills) 69

16 xiv LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE 2.1 Training for Professional Practice A Framework for Understanding Teaching and Learning Interconnections between effective teaching and content knowledge The gender of the respondents The race of the respondents Year of study of the respondents Experiences in teaching English Rank of important TESL courses 53

17 xv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS FOE - Faculty Of Education TESL - Teaching English as a Second Language UTM - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia FPPSM - Fakulti Pengurusan dan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia

18 xvi LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX TITLE PAGE A Questionnaire 96 B Interview Questions 106 C Analysis of the Questionnaire 108

19 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction According to Brown (1980), teaching can be defined as showing or helping someone to learn how to do something, giving instructions, guiding in the study of something, providing with knowledge and causing to know or understand something. Chitravelu (2005) stated that a teacher requires practice in using the skills involved in teaching before teaching in the real classroom context. A good teacher should be able to demonstrate and practice various teaching skills and behaviours. In addition to that, Kennedy ( 1990 ) believed that a good teacher should show that they are the masters of the subject, exhibit passion for their field and create a positive environment for learning. It is very crucial for a teacher to know the subject and be truly knowledgeable in the subject area. The teacher must have the ability to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the subject. A good teacher must also know the field of specialization very well to make the subject interesting and attract the students attention to learn.

20 2 Kennedy ( 1990 ) stated that a good teacher needs to understand subject matter deeply and flexibly so that they will be able to help students create useful cognitive maps, relate one idea to another and address misconceptions. Teachers must see how ideas are connected across fields and with everyday life. The deep understanding of the subject matter will provide a foundation for content knowledge which will enable the teachers to make ideas accessible to others. A teacher should also have the enthusiasm on the subject matter to be a good teacher. A competent teacher must be very interested in the subject matter. They should have the ability to show interest in the teaching process too. It is crucial for a teacher to show interest in the teaching and learning process as it will influence the students level of motivation during the learning process. In brief, it is important for teacher trainees to be exposed to the real teaching world where they will be able to apply their knowledge. According to Murphy (2003), teaching practice is a central component in the teacher education programmes. Teaching practice will be the time that trainee teachers will get to work with experienced teachers. This is a crucial step in learning to be an effective teacher. It is also the time for trainees to put into practice the theories that they have learned in their course. In short, teacher trainees will be able to apply their subject knowledge and subject competence by undergoing teaching practice.

21 3 1.1 Background of the problem Many of the teacher trainees who have undergone their teaching practice found that they are not well prepared in terms of subject knowledge and subject competence. According to Murphy ( 2003 ), teaching is often related with subject matter and teacher transmission. It is highlighted that a teacher is an expert in the subject matter and thinks mainly of himself or herself and the content to be taught. In order to deliver an effective lesson, teacher trainees should be able to apply their knowledge to make the subject interesting and accessible to students (Brooks, 2004). Teachers need to understand what the students like about the subject, what makes it difficult for them and what their common misconceptions are. However, many of the teacher trainees are not able to deliver the lesson effectively because they do not have a flexible understanding of subject matter. Moreover, the trainees are not able to anticipate and respond to typical student patterns of understanding and misunderstanding within a content area (Hammond, 2005). In addition, many teacher trainees have difficulties in the teaching process because they lack sufficient understanding of the subject matter (Kennedy, 1990). The trainees are not able to appreciate how knowledge in their subject is created, linked to other disciplines and not able to apply the subject matter knowledge with the real-world settings (Hammond, 1995). Basically, knowledge of the subject is very important in a teaching process. Gaudart (1988) stated that training teachers in the pedagogical behaviour of explaining cannot succeed if teachers do not adequately understand the content they are supposed to explain. This shows that the level of readiness in terms of subject knowledge plays an important role in the teaching and learning process of a teacher trainee.

22 4 The lack of subject knowledge among teacher trainees will affect the teaching process too (Blake, 1995). Chacon (2005) highlights that subject matter knowledge is the amount and organization of the knowledge in the mind of the teacher. Teachers with only a limited knowledge of a subject may avoid teaching difficult or complex aspects. This is to avoid students participation and questioning. The limited subject knowledge of the teacher trainees will prevent teacher trainees from giving meaningful explanations to the students. In addition to that, Chacon (2005) believed that many teacher trainees are less competent in handling their duties as a teacher. Many of them do not show interest in delivering the lesson as they often view language as an object. As a result the instruction often becomes fragmented, decontextualized, teacher-centered and separated from students needs and interest. In short, subject knowledge and subject competence are very crucial in developing and producing an effective teacher. 1.2 Statement of problem According to Buku Panduan Akademik Ijazah Sarjana Muda (Sesi 2003 / 04) Fakulti Pendidikan, teaching practice is a compulsory course that all the third year students of Faculty of Education ( FOE ) should take in order to graduate. The students are required to undergo their teaching practice for twelve weeks at a specific school that is chosen by the FOE. The main purpose of teaching practice is to enable all the teacher trainees to perform all the theories and teaching skills that have been exposed to them throughout the TESL programme. Moreover, the teacher trainees will be able to apply all the knowledge and skills gained in the real teaching world.

23 5 As stated by Murphy (2003), teaching practice component is central to all teacher education programmes. Teaching practice will be the time when the teacher trainees will be working with real learners in the real teaching world. Teacher trainees will be able to apply and refine their teaching skills in the classroom. However, many of the TESL teacher trainees are not well prepared to undergo their teaching practice as they are not ready in terms of subject knowledge and subject competence. First, teacher s subject knowledge is very crucial in order to develop an effective teaching. By not knowing the subject knowledge well, teacher trainees will not be able to transfer the knowledge to their students at their level of understanding. This will result in negative consequences whereby the students will not be able to comprehend what the teachers are trying to teach. The level of mastery in subject knowledge is also crucial to deliver the lesson. The teacher should be knowledgeable in the subject area. Trainee teachers will encounter difficulties to teach efficiently if they have not mastered their subjects well. On the other hand, teacher trainees will not be able to deliver meaningful explanations due to limited subject knowledge. According to Bowers (1987), many teacher trainees are having problems to perform their teaching practice due to the lack of subject competence. Subject competence is one of the important elements as it will help teacher trainees to manage the class. As many of the teacher trainees are not competent, they might have difficulties in performing the teaching practice successfully and effectively.

24 6 In brief, teacher s knowledge of their subject matter and the importance of this knowledge are important for a successful teaching process. Milne (1999) highlighted that a teacher should master the knowledge of the subject itself and knowledge of the curricular development. In addition, a teacher should be competent in delivering an effective lesson. The mastery of subject knowledge and subject competence will influence the level of readiness among teacher trainees in performing their teaching practice. 1.3 Objective of the research It is hoped that through this research, the researcher will be able to : identify the importance of the courses taught to the teacher trainees at the university before undergoing teaching practice determine the level of readiness in terms of subject knowledge among the teacher trainees in performing teaching practice determine the level of readiness in terms of subject competence among the teacher trainees in performing teaching practice

25 7 1.4 Research questions This research has been designed to provide answers to the following questions : How effective are the courses taught to the teacher trainees before they undergo teaching practice? What is the level of readiness in terms of subject knowledge among the teacher trainees during teaching practice? What is the level of readiness in terms of subject competence among the teacher trainees during teaching practice?