University Supervisors’ and Student Teachers’ Assessment of the Value of Teaching Practice and School Context Challenges in Kenya

Abstract

This paper explores University supervisors’ and student teachers’ assessment of the value of teaching practice and school context challenges in Kenya based on a study that examined perceptions on the influence of the school context on the teacher interns performance in Moi University. Data was collected from a sample of thirty one university supervisors and one hundred and forty eight Fourth Year Bachelor of Education students proportionate to the four Degree programmes offered in the School of Education using questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics were computed using the SPSS computer package. It was found that despite the varied teaching practice school characteristics of school administration, the pupils, the teachers and the learning resources presenting a challenge to the student teachers’ translation of theory into practice they were in agreement that teaching practice in the particular schools had made them more competent teachers and that they had adequate opportunity for practice. Though the student teachers generally felt that teaching practice experience was valuable to them irrespective of the school context, the university supervisors considered the Provincial school category more adequate in providing opportunity for practice. In view of this, it is recommended that there be regular evaluation of the teaching practice school contexts with regard to the adequacy of the opportunities they provide to the student teachers for practice so as to eliminate those seriously inadequate. Teaching practice schools should find ways of reducing debilitating factors so as to enhance the teaching-learning process and student teaching.