Dr B Harold, Zayed University, UAE



BRITISH EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland. 10-13 September 2003.

Dr B Harold, Zayed University, UAE.

I want to teach a new generation who will help my country develop”: The role of Emirati student teachers as agents of change

For further information contact:

Dr Barbara Harold

Associate-Professor, College of Education

Zayed University UAE.

Email: Barbara_Harold@zu.ac.ae

Dr B Harold, Zayed University, UAE.

Co-Author: Dr Peter McNally Zayed University, UAE.

I want to teach a new generation who will help my country develop”: The role of Emirati student teachers as agents of change.

ABSTRACT

The United Arab Emirates are currently engaged on a wide-ranging reform of their education system. The College of Education at Zayed University in Dubai has a key role in supporting the reforms through the preparation of young Emirati women teachers. The student teachers in the current program have come from a background of largely teacher-directed rote learning using state-developed curriculum and test-driven assessment, and the majority are first generation university students. Their pre-service teacher education program at Zayed University aims to introduce them to a wide range of teaching methodologies integrated with modern technology, and emphasizes a learner-centered approach to teaching in schools. Students are encouraged to implement these approaches in their practicum settings.

This paper reports on the first three phases of a longitudinal study that examines the school-based experiences of a cohort of pre-service teachers completing the final two years of their education degree. Through analysis of surveys before and after each practicum, reflections on their practicum visits, interviews with student teachers, and the development of individual case studies, the study aims to identify key issues that influence the way they learn to teach. It will also report on the degree to which these students are able to introduce changes to their practicum settings. This paper will discuss the impact of university coursework and practicum experiences on student teachers’ goals, values, and beliefs about their role in UAE schools.

Introduction

During 2002 and 2003 a faculty team at Zayed University has undertaken a longitudinal study that examines the practicum experiences of a cohort of women entering the final two years of their degree in the College of Education.

Metholodogy

In the first 3 phases data collection techniques included:

▪ Pre- and post-practicum surveys,

▪ written reflections,

▪ interviews with participants.

In phase 4, the internship experience, data collection techniques included:

▪ reflective journals,

▪ self-assessment statements.

The cohort sample changed in size during the phases from 20 participants at the beginning to 14 in phase 3. Except for one mature student, the cohort all entered university directly from secondary school. They are bilingual in English and Arabic, and the majority are first generation university students. The academic program at Zayed University is designed to develop qualities that will eventually take them to leadership positions in the education system.

Student teachers complete two years in a general education program and then spend two more (4 semesters) in teacher education. They complete a school placement program of one morning a week for 10 weeks in the first 3 semesters, followed by a 10-week full-time internship program in the final semester.

This paper reports on some of the findings from the surveys of the first three practicum experiences. These are discussed under the sub-sections of, professional goals, challenges and concerns, and personal beliefs about education.

Professional goals

Phase 1

The goal statements of respondents tended to reflect the themes that emerged from their expectations for the practicum. Professional goals related to their own learning, to the development of some aspects of the teacher’s role, (e.g. management and organization of the classroom) to personal/professional traits and to the development of effective communication and relationships with students and mentor teachers.

About half the student teachers stated that they aimed to be an ‘ideal’ or ‘effective’ teacher. These often referred to affective aspects of the teacher’s role. A number of participants defined a successful lesson as one where they were ‘loved’ by the students, (i.e. built up a strong rapport with them). In part, it probably reflects a lack of sophistication in vocabulary use, but being liked and rewarding students in class with tangible gifts seems to be an important part of their cultural experience.

Other student teachers had more specific curriculum-related goals such as developing greater understanding of the teacher’s management and organization of the classroom and how they, in turn, might learn to shape it in positive ways. Some student teachers set goals in terms of their own learning and the need to take responsibility for self-directed learning while on the practicum. The need to observe and ask questions, avoid negative aspects of teaching and focus on the positives, learn from being observed and from making mistakes, and not being shy in raising questions, were some of the sentiments expressed. Others identified personal and professional traits such as being “hard working”, “patient”, “enthusiastic”, and a “life long learner” as qualities they aspired to.

In the follow-up survey respondents commented that their initial goals had largely been met. However, the practicum experience was relatively brief - ten half days with a major focus on observation – and reflects just the first step towards the overall goal of being an effective teacher. Student teachers attributed the perception of success in achieving goal statements to the range of observations they undertook across levels of schools, exposure to different teachers and classes within schools, and the chance to do some small group teaching.

Phase 2

As in phase 1, there was a close link between expectations and goal statements. The focus on the development of personal/professional traits was still quite evident in Phase 2 with comments such as “[I want to] learn how to be patient, kind and understanding”, and “overcome my fears of teaching”. There was a distinct shift in goal statements towards a desire to gain more teaching experience or to develop specific teaching methods. About half the group included this type of goal in their response. The latter included such goals as: “practice my teaching voice”; “not depend on the textbook, but on activities” and “use discovery methods”. Goals related specifically to students or to improvement of student learning were not really evident at this stage although two participants wanted to “teach students in a good way so they will not be bored”, and “give students knowledge in a simple but understandable way”. One participant set a longer-term goal, stating that she wanted to “gain a position where I can help the coming generation to learn”.

In the follow-up survey the majority of students again believed that they had achieved the initial goals. Approximately one third of the students noted that their confidence levels had increased. Several commented on specific techniques, resources or methods they had used, such as technology, grouping strategies, and discovery learning. Most of the students whose goal was concerned with management of students stated that they had achieved that but one had experienced problems: “I [couldn’t] control the children because they were very naughty”.

Phase 3

The expression of goals in quite specific terms continued in phase 3. The development of sound relationships with students and mentor teacher together with effective communication was mentioned 8 times, indicating that this is an area of importance to many student teachers, and reflecting a stronger focus on learner needs. In relation to this category, effective management of student behaviour was still seen as an important goal by three of the group.

A number of student teachers stated that their professional goal was to interact with the mentor teacher for ‘knowledge and experience’. This may reflect a recognition that teaching is a more complex job than they had initially thought:

▪ I would like to look on the way that the teacher deals with this level of students.

▪ I want to communicate with the teachers to get from them their experience.

Several of the group commented that their goal was to apply the knowledge they had accumulated during their university program

While the majority of professional goals were stated in quite specific terms, some of the participants stated theirs more generally (e.g. “trust my abilities in teaching, and give my best”).

When asked to identify what could help them achieve their professional goals, a variety of responses were apparent. Eight student teachers indicated that collaboration with others (mentor teacher, students, peers) would be the main source of assistance. Several participants identified observation as a second strategy that would help them achieve their professional goals. A third category of responses identified specific personal attributes such as “being honest with myself”, and “my determination”. A further group stated that sound preparation such as “preparing [a] variety of activities, lesson plans and using different kind of resources” would be helpful.

In the post-practicum survey all the student teachers were able to identify one or more goals that they had set and achieved. Professional goals related to management of students, and specific teaching methods were most frequently mentioned. Their comments about what or who had helped them achieve their goals reflected their earlier expectations. Nine of the group indicated that their mentor teacher provided particular help. One noted the assistance of the faculty supervisor and four stated that students had helped them.

Challenges and concerns

Phase 1

The participants were asked to identify their biggest challenges as they moved into their first teaching practice experience. Here the responses appeared to be in five broad categories. The first group was concerned with career-related matters such as getting good grades and passing their university course. The second set of comments indicated concerns about developing sound professional skills such as observation, management, motivation of learners and using technology. A third group of statements seemed to reflect the challenge of moving into the profession with participants concerned about being accepted by the mentor teacher and students, and understanding and communicating effectively with learners. Related to this category was a small set of responses where some student teachers were concerned about overcoming their fears of working with children, and developing confidence in their new role. Finally, two student teachers appeared to reflect a strong vocational factor, with comments that the challenge would be to find out “how much I can give to society to help students be good people in their lives” and “to make my classroom perfect for UAE”.

After the practicum the participants were very positive, with the majority stating that their challenges had been resolved. Several held the view that they had learned a lot, knew how to deal with children, were more comfortable in the class and that teaching wasn’t as difficult as it had first seemed.

Phase 2

The challenges for student teachers in this second practicum seemed more ‘focused’ than in the first, perhaps reflecting a more realistic perception of what would happen for them in the classroom. For about half, the biggest challenge was ‘having the confidence’ to attempt teaching, particularly the first lesson. Related to this, the age and class level of students was seen as a challenge by a small group who would be based in preparatory and secondary classrooms. This response could be expected as the first practicum had mainly involved observations with a very limited amount of shared planning and small group teaching.

The second major challenge identified by participants related more specifically to their ability to actually apply the knowledge and methods from their coursework (e.g. “to give the lesson successfully”; “use my knowledge and what I have learned”).

Following the practicum almost all the student teachers reported that their ‘challenges’ had been met. The earlier concerns about lack of confidence had disappeared as was evident in comments such as “I gained the confidence to teach secondary students. The first time I was nervous but the second time I was confident and happy”.

Despite the strongly positive nature of many of the comments, some students were more ambivalent about their ability to deal with the challenges they faced. Statements such as the following indicated that they were becoming more realistic about life in classrooms:

▪ I taught a ‘naughty’ class and it takes time and effort to manage the class.

▪ I learnt that not every day is good for the teacher and sometimes you change your way of teaching.

Phase 3

Responses to this question contained some similar themes to phases 1 and 2, but weightings had shifted a little. Management and development of relationships with students were still seen as challenges by five of the participants, but concerns about confidence had largely disappeared with only one participant naming this. The key challenges were perceived to be in the actual detail of teaching and learning. Within this category some responses reflected a concern about the ‘transmission’ of information (e.g. “how to start explaining the topics” “how to send the information”). Other responses appeared to reflect a more student-centered perspective (e.g. “how to make math easy and interesting so students can [relate it] to real life”, “ how to let students get great benefit from my lesson”). A third subcategory of responses indicated that participants saw the actual application and practice of teaching knowledge and skills as a challenge (e.g. “how to include all that I have learned in these four semesters”; “ how to get more experience about teaching and using new materials”).

In the post-practicum survey, participants again reported that many concerns about relationships, planning and teaching, confidence, and management had been satisfactorily settled. When asked if any challenges had not been resolved only five participants indicated that this was the case. One noted that she was still concerned about management of student behaviour. Two student teachers stated that they had not had enough actual teaching time to fully resolve their concerns while another said she failed to deal with the challenge of assessment because she “did not finish the lesson in time”. Two others stated that their personal challenge to “give better lessons than the teacher” had not been met.

Personal Beliefs About Teaching

In completing this question, participants were asked to indicate personal beliefs about the purpose of schools, their role as a teacher, how children learn, the classroom learning environment, and their role in planning, teaching, and assessment.

The Purpose of Schools:

Phase 1

Given the relatively young age of this nation, the developing nature of the education system, and the charter of Zayed University to prepare Emirati women to be future leaders, it is not surprising that the student teachers’ belief statements center on ideals related to the future development of the country and its citizens (e.g. The purpose of schools is to grow the future society to be more peaceful and generous and loyal to their country and religion”; “Teachers have one of the most important roles in building the society”).

Phase 2

Several of the students still identified the wider role of the school as an important aspect of their beliefs as shown in statements like the following:

▪ Education is an important field and it has many benefits. Educated people can benefit their country;

▪ I want to establish a new generation that is educated;

Phase 3

This aspect of personal beliefs did not seem significant in the third phase. There were no specific statements about the purpose of schools.

The Role of the Teacher and the Learner

Phase 1

The belief statements here were evenly divided between those that focused on the teacher’s need for knowledge and skills to be an effective teacher, and those that focused on the needs of the learner. The former included comments such as:

Teaching is challenging and not easy.

▪ I would like to be a teacher with new ideas. I want to be different from my teacher at school.

The latter included comments such as:

▪ [I want to] help students to love my subject.

▪ I want my children to learn because they want to and not because of the exam grade.

Phase 2

During their second practicum the belief statements in this category had shifted somewhat and there was a greater awareness of the needs of learners. The impact of academic course content was evident in comments such as:

▪ As a teacher, I would like to give the students what they want to learn about as an addition to their curriculum. I believe in the democratic management.

▪ The teacher should help the students to learn and depend on themselves.

▪ In my view [using groups] groups will help students to improve our skills. This will be my role as a teacher.

The importance of the affective dimension of teaching continued to feature. For example, some responses stated that:

▪ I think children learn more if you give them more love.

▪ I want to build a good relationship with my students. I would like to be friendly, not too strict and not too easy going but a ‘warm demander’.

The view of teaching as ‘transmission’ was also evident in some responses. For example:

▪ My role is to give the students good information and provide them with some of my background and experiences.

▪ I plan to teach my students by material that can attract them and give them a great deal of information.

Phase 3

Belief statements about the role of the teacher seemed to be more strongly confirmed for a number of the cohort in this phase, and there was still a strong vocational element evident in statements such as the following:

▪ I want to teach my country’s generation who are going to help develop my country.

▪ Teaching is the most sublime job in the world… and it is the basis of everything in our life.

▪ I hope that I can teach the students some things that will help them in their life and in the future.

▪ I want to teach because I believe that the teacher has a message to send to students and it is a noble job.

However the statement of one student teacher was firmly grounded in the learning task:

▪ I think that I need to practice the role of the teacher more and to put in my mind that the target goal or purpose for my teaching is to help children learn.

A third set of statements indicated why students had chosen teaching as a profession. For some the drive had been from external sources:

▪ During the practicum, when I taught some lessons, my mentor liked my way of teaching. This encouraged me to give my best in the future.

▪ I like to be a teacher and it is my parents wish that one of their daughters become a teacher.

For others it was driven from a personal preference:

▪ I love to teach and it was my dream to become a teacher.

▪ I chose to be a teacher because I liked teaching and feel an interest in it.

▪ I liked teaching when I was a student in the school.

The affective aspect of the teacher’s role appeared to be a stronger element in this phase. The importance of effective relationships between teacher and student was included in the beliefs of the majority of the student teachers. Typical comments here included:

▪ I hope to make a good relationship between me and the students.

▪ Students should feel comfortable in the classroom.

In their first semester of teacher education, this cohort had been introduced to the concept of the teacher as ‘warm demander’ (McNally, 2001), and it was a concept that was firmly rooted in the belief systems of some group members, as apparent in the following statements:

▪ I want to be a ‘warm demander’ teacher.

▪ I would like to be a ‘king’ of warm teachers.

▪ I want to be a ‘warm demander’ teacher who cares and realizes students’ needs.

Classroom Learning Environment

Phase 1

This aspect drew a strong response from student teachers and indicated that students had begun to gain some key understandings from university course workshops. Some comments related to the physical environment, (e.g. “create an attractive classroom environment with plants, curtains, instructional media such as posters, TV, video, computer, and printers, to help student do their work”). Many of the responses centered on the social and emotional environment that they saw as important for teaching. There were statements, for example, that indicated student teachers valued such things as “being honest with students”, “ listening to their problems, and helping them solve them”, “having a fun classroom”, “trying to be fair and ensure everyone has rights”, and “creating an environment that the students choose”.

Phase 2

Here, only one student referred to the environment in their belief statements, stating that, “students want a very nice and colourful classroom to learn in”.

Phase 3

Views about the relevance of the classroom environment were more frequent in the phase 3 comments and were mentioned by half of the participants. Some of them appeared to express a ‘wish list’ for their future classrooms:

▪ In the classroom learning environment more group conversation [is needed] to make a relationship between the student and teacher.

▪ I will have an English center, and all the students will come and have their English lesson in it. I would like to design it and have an English library in it so the students can use it in any time they need to.

▪ My classroom will have different materials which can help my students, like projector, computer, TV, stereo.

A set of beliefs that had been evident in phase 1, re-emerged here. Several participants expressed support for the concept of a ‘student-centered’ classroom. This reflected some specific ideas from university course work and indicated that they were thinking beyond the traditional ‘teacher delivery’ model that is prevalent in many local classrooms:

▪ I want the classroom learning environment to be student centered.

▪ Students should feel comfortable giving their ideas and opinions.

▪ I think that the students learn from activities more and this will attract them always to the class.

▪ The classroom should have students at the center of the [program] to share their ideas and give comments and also give their ideas about classroom seating and topics which interest them.

Planning, Teaching and Assessment

Phase 1

The bulk of responses in this category were to do with beliefs about appropriate teaching strategies. Teaching was largely viewed as a commitment to using a variety of teaching strategies to motivate students and ensure they learned effectively. In addition, there was a strong commitment to using technology in their teaching. This reflects these student teachers’ background in technology and their comfort in using it in their university-based presentations. The limited comments on planning and assessment perhaps indicate the relative lack of focus on these topics at this early stage of the program.

Phase 2

The belief statements in this category, prior to the second practicum, reflected a marked emphasis on the perceived efficacy of strategies and approaches discussed in their on- campus coursework. The value of using group methods was a common theme and other comments related to the importance of sound planning, and the use of portfolio assessment techniques. The impact of course content was evident in comments such as the following:

▪ I would like to apply the skills and strategies I learned in my education courses.

▪ We should teach discovery lessons.

▪ I want to make my class funny with different activities and materials.

A new category of belief statements emerged prior to the second practicum experience. These reflected student teacher views about particular curriculum content. The following typified this group:

▪ I would like to have some changes in the way of teaching writing skills.

▪ Schools have to [introduce] the technological classes which use computers. Also they have to divide the classes for math, Arabic, Science, and Islamic Studies.

▪ Nowadays computers are very important so I want to teach my students about computers.

Phase 3

Beliefs about the value of specific subject methodology were still evident prior to the third practicum. For example, two English majors said:

▪ [It is important to] focus on communicating more in the classroom to help them improve the language.

▪ I want children to learn by listening/hearing, speaking as a first thing and then I’ll teach them how to read and write.

The impact of teaching methods courses continued to show in belief statements such as the following:

▪ Students should feel comfortable in the classroom, asking and answering the questions, getting involved in activities.

▪ I want to realize student needs by using the new methods and by understanding them.

▪ [Children] learn through authentic materials and tasks. I would like to have group work in my class. I would like to use different styles of teaching. I would like to plan one week before the lesson to have many different ideas. I would like to assess the students and give them activities, which will tell me about their understanding

Similarities and differences between student teacher and mentor teacher views

Following the third practicum, participants were asked to identify ways in which their ideas about teaching were similar to and different from their mentor teachers. All of the student teachers were able to identify similarities. About half of them stated that these were in the area of general teaching methodologies. Some believed this was because a range of ‘new’ techniques were already being used by many teachers in response to Ministry of Education policy development:

.

▪ The mentor teacher was using the new ways to teach and these were the same ideas I have.

▪ [She] was using the modern way of teaching, for example, enhancing student, saying or giving good feedback, using critical thinking, writing, listening and speaking skills

▪ [The ideas] are similar because now we have new teachers and they all use a variety of materials and follow the right way of teaching.

Other similarities identified included relationships with students, management strategies and development of the classroom environment

When asked to identify differences between ideas held by them and the mentor teacher, half of the group claimed there were no differences. Where differences were identified, they were mainly concerned with specific teaching strategies or use of resources. For example:

▪ She gave a test without giving them notice. But I told her that the student must know before that she will have an exam.

▪ She used the traditional way in class management sitting the students in rows, while I like to sit them in groups.

▪ She prefers to depend on the textbook but I don’t.

▪ I used a different engagement, like telling a story which is actually [linked] to a problem that we need to solve.

Stability of beliefs about teaching

The follow-up responses to the first two practicum experiences indicated that the student teachers’ underlying beliefs about teaching had remained fairly consistent. However many acknowledged that their course content and practicum had added a new dimension to their thinking or reaffirmed their beliefs. Some were beginning to show a critical perspective, however. For example, when asked to comment on what specific changes had occurred in their thinking as a result of their experience the comments included the following:

▪ My mentor teacher said to me that I call on certain students. Actually she is the one that does that but maybe she does not realize this.

▪ My mentor teacher was very strict with the students and chose weak students to do some exercises on the board. But I like all to share.

▪ My mentor teacher does not believe in using group work because she thinks it is a waste of time with not so much learning especially with the heavy curriculum.

This critical perspective continued during the third practicum. Student teacher comments indicated that some were continuing to face unexpected realities. One became aware that the introduction of new teaching methodologies took time to achieve:

▪ In my planning I like to put a lot of activities, group work and so on. When I went to school, I find the time is too limited, not because of the activities, but because the students didn’t use this method before. So I have to teach them and let them practice working in groups.

Some found that teaching was harder work than they had expected and this challenged their commitment:

▪ Sometimes, I want to change my profession … because of the nowadays students and their behaviour because they are difficult to deal with.

▪ First, I liked to teach preparatory and after my first practicum course I changed it. I saw that it is better to deal with young children and also because of the school time. I cannot spend a long time (until 2:30) in school and leave my own children alone. I am thinking now to not work after graduating.

However others were able to see positive elements that countered the difficulties:

▪ Before, I didn’t think that a teacher’s job is difficult and it will take most of her or his time and bring a headache, but on the other hand it’s a really nice and enjoyable job.

▪ Being a teacher needs hard work. It is not easy to be a teacher unless you like this job Most of the teachers in the school we visited didn’t encourage us to be a teacher. They said that it is difficult job and you carry your work with you at home. However, this belief changed with me when I saw the future of the students, how it relates with their education.

Discussion

The paper presented today has drawn on some initial findings from the study and presents a preliminary analysis of student teacher responses to surveys. Last semester the research team gathered further data via interviews, and the cohort wrote detailed reflective journals during their internship. These are currently being analyzed and will provide a richer perspective on the interns’ classroom experience.

What then can be said, at this point, about the cohort’s experiences as ‘change agents’ in the classroom?

Many of the practicum experiences of this cohort were similar to student teachers elsewhere. For example, studies based on Fuller’s (1969) work have identified the developmental stages in student teachers’ concerns- first, concern for self, then concern for themselves as teachers and finally concern for the students (Brady, et. al., 1998; Bloomfield, 2000; Mau, 1997; Scherer, 1999, Yourn, 2000).

In a study of practicum experiences in Finland, Jarvela (1999) reported that her student teachers did not feel that they were able to achieve the practicum goals they had set. Our experience with the UAE student teachers was the opposite with the majority stating that they had been able to achieve their goals. This aspect is worthy of further investigation.

It was evident in the responses that many student teachers have already begun to internalize and value some key course-related concepts and ideas. (e.g. ‘grouping’, ‘warm demander’ ‘discovery learning’, and ‘microteaching’). The opportunity to actually implement these during practicum varied widely however, because the school culture impacted on teaching opportunities in different ways. Many of the UAE schools that we worked in do not have the kind of well-developed culture of mentoring and student teacher participation that we take for granted in other education systems. Cultural norms and relationship dynamics among faculty supervisors, student teachers, mentor teachers and students had some different aspects to what the researchers ‘took for granted’ in their previous settings (e.g. the broad influence of Islam within the daily program, the approach to rewards and penalties, access for male supervisors).

It was clear that some student teachers had been given opportunities to try new approaches however and while this may be manageable on a ‘one off’ basis in a practicum, it may be more difficult to sustain in a full time teaching position. On the one hand, the UAE espouses a strong desire to introduce modern teaching methods and to make their education system compatible with international best practice. On the other hand the infrastructure to support this is still evolving and the compulsory sector is strongly bound to traditional practices.

The data indicate that the student teachers were able to recognize differences between their ideas and the mentor teacher’s, but appeared to identify more strongly with the similarities. Realistically, the importance of the affective domain is apparent in the comments and concerns about personal relationships with mentor teachers, and is consistent with international experiences (e.g. Mau, 1997; Sharpe et al, 1994) Student teachers placed a high value on support and assistance from mentor teachers and are thus less likely to be critical in the short time they were in the classroom.

The responses are very positive, in the main, and the majority of student teachers believed their practicum experiences had been successful. This indicates a degree of naiveté and optimism that, though perhaps pleasing to see, reflects the kind of uncritical response noted by Joram and Gabriel (1998) that can be common in the early stages of school experience. Many commented on the value of the advice and help they had gained from the mentor and it was clear they had incorporated this in their own teaching. Such advice was generally accepted in an uncritical manner and where there are obvious contrasts in individual beliefs it is probably valuable to provide opportunities for students to discuss these more critically.

Many of the comments reflected a strong vocational commitment to the work of teaching. The majority of this group have clear ideals about their role in the country’s development This may explain the high level of stability in their beliefs about teaching across the 3 semesters. There was increasing evidence though that some of the cohort were beginning to take a critical perspective and it will be interesting to see how this emerges from the internship data.

Caveats to the research

First there must be caution in the analysis of responses given in English when it is the second language of the participants and they have varying levels of proficiency in expressing their thoughts in written English. The student teachers are reasonably fluent in English but do not always understand technical or educational terms. The initial surveys cannot fully explore the depth of attitudes and beliefs that may be held by the participants and the validity of the preliminary findings will need to be clarified or verified by further discussion or interview.

Second, the results of the survey represent a relatively basic initial exploration of student teacher perspectives. More depth and detail will be gathered from the ongoing analysis of the interview data and internship journals

Third, the length and nature of the practicum experience presents somewhat limited opportunities to implement ‘new’ teaching approaches. The real challenges come during the 10-week internship (block practicum) when students are based full time in classrooms.

Despite these limitations, the findings shared with you today provide an important window to teaching practice in a Middle East context, in an environment of educational change.

REFERENCES

Bloomfield, D. (2000). Voices on the web: student teachers negotiating identity. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 28(3), pp. 199-212.

Brady, L., Segal, G., Bamford, A., & Deer, C. (1998). Student perceptions of the theory/practice nexus in teacher education: a longitudinal study. A paper presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide, Australia.

Fuller, F. F. (1969). Concerns of teachers: A developmental conceptualization. American Educational Research Journal, 6, 207-226.

Jarvela, Ritva-Lisa (1999). Student teachers’ expectations of teaching practice and the realization of those expectations. Paper presented at 24th ATEE Annual Conference, 30 August - 5 September.

Joram, E and Gabriel, A. J. (1998). Pre-service teachers prior beliefs: Transforming obstacles into opportunities. Teaching and Teacher Education 14, 175-191.

McNally, P. (2001). EDC 350 Teaching Studies 1. Workshop Powerpoint presentation.

Mau, R. (1997). Concerns of student teachers: implications for improving the practicum. Australia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 25 (1), pp. 53-66.

Scherer, M. (Ed.). (1999). A better beginning: supporting and mentoring new teachers. Alexandria: ASCD.

Sharpe, L., Moo, S., Crawford, L. and Goprnathan, S. (1994). Teacher supervision patterns and discourse. Singapore: National Institution of Education.

Yourn, B. (2000). Listening to the ‘voice’ of beginning music teachers: an opportunity for empowerment. A paper presented at the Teaching and Learning Forum 2000, Perth, Australia.

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