Pre-service teacher education in Angola: how student teachers perceive the practicum

Abstract

Pre-service teacher education is a major political priority in Angola so as to promote educational and social development in the country. Pedagogical supervision is understood as a strategy that should support innovation towards better teacher qualification and more learning-centred curricula. However, there is a lack of studies about how teacher education programmes are perceived by both students and teacher educators. The study here reported is part of a PhD project conducted by the first author in a teacher training institution (Namibe Teacher Training School – Angola), focusing on perceptions of the practicum through survey questionnaires administered to student teachers, school supervisors, institutional supervisors and programme/ practicum coordinators across nine teacher education programmes. We will focus on the student teachers’ views of the practicum as regards the goals and practices of supervision, the supervisor profile, the quality of educational practices at school, and the development of professional competences. Results point out mismatches between student teachers’ ideal conceptions of the practicum (what they believe to be more important) and the way they experience it (what they perceive to be more present in practice). Those mismatches may generate dissatisfaction as regards the fulfilment of student teachers’ expectations and indicate the need to improve teacher development practices in this context. The gap between ideals and reality can be partially understood with reference to constraints and improvement measures pointed out by the student teachers as regards school conditions (e.g. large classes, student misbehaviour and learning problems, shortage of resources), insufficient previous training to face the practicum, supervisors’ lack of updated knowledge about supervisory strategies and educational innovation, and lack of appropriate communication and coordination between schools and the teacher training institution. These problems are also pointed out by the other participants in the study, which reinforces the need to undertake changes in this context. It is expected that this kind of studies may instigate institutions to discuss the role of practicum experiences as regards teacher qualification and educational change, not only in terms of what should be done but also in terms of how student teachers and teacher educators perceive reality as compared to their aspirations, thus taking into account their voices as a springboard for reflection and change.