Browsing by Author "Zyster, Jenead Diana Nicole"

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    The emotional experiences of Cape Peninsula University of Technology education students in navigating teaching practice
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, ) Zyster, Jenead Diana Nicole; Robinson, Maureen; Le Cordeur, Michael ; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Curriculum Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Teaching Practice, the school-based component of initial teacher education, is one of the most important components of any teacher education program. As a lecturer on the B. Ed. programme many uncertainties that student teachers experience during Teaching Practice were brought to my attention. These include placement and accommodation, the attitudes of teachers, mentors and principals, conflicting personalities, the lecturers assigned for panel assessments, efficiency of school management and the availability of resources. It is against this background that I set out to study the emotional experiences of a group of student teachers at my institution. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of emotions in the various phases (pre, during and post) of Teaching Practice for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education at CPUT. The study explored the experiences of these student teachers in regard to their emotions and emotional challenges as they navigated the entire Teaching Practice journey. The study was supported by literature, which highlights the emotional challenges student teachers and teachers face during their daily practice (Hayes, 2003). In fact, studies have found that student teachers change professional programmes and teachers resign from their positions due to pressure of the modern-day classroom, which include difficulty in dealing with emotional and psychological challenges in their professional practice (McCarthy, Lambert, O’Donnell, & Melendres, 2009) Struyven & Vanthournout, 2014). Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory was employed as the theoretical framework of the study. My interest in achievement goals and self-efficacy as antecedents to increased performance, motivation, work satisfaction and positive affect, led to the espousing of the Control Value Theory of Pekrun, Frenzel, Goetz and Perry (2007) and Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory to support the theoretical underpinnings of the study. I employed qualitative research methods to acquire a deep, rich array of data in order to answer the research questions. Eighteen third-year B. Ed. students at CPUT’s Wellington campus participated in this study. The following instruments provided the data for the study: two open-ended questionnaires and an interview based on a poster. A thematic analysis was employed, and the data were categorised in themes and categories, derived from the literature review and the constructs from the theoretical framework of the study. The findings of the study highlighted the complex and emotional nature of TP, especially student teachers’ efforts in learning to teach, and their endeavours to become socialized into the school community. Various factors were found to have an influence on student teachers’ emotions. These included the relationship with learners, fellow student teachers, mentor teachers and the principal, as well as the particular school placement. The participants unanimously agreed that they should be continually cognisant of their emotions throughout TP as the journey is one of being emotionally “up and down”. The participants mentioned the value of emotion regulation, self-reflection and self-motivation to serve as buffers against negative affect and inappropriate and drastic actions. The study also found that the pandemic had profound consequences on student teachers in a vastly changed school and home environment. Recommendations are made for ways in which higher education institutions can assist student teachers in alleviating stressful emotions and emotional events which may accompany TP, and to augment existing policy, systems and support structures.