EFL Pre-Service Teachers´ Perceptions on their Practica Docente I Teacher´s support.

Abstract

In pre-service teacher education, mentoring is considered a significant component for profesional preparation. Although it has successfully demonstrated to be highly beneficial for the teachers tobe, research has questioned the idea that mentoring relationships are always positive for mentees, as they tend to experience a variety of problems with their mentors; for example, experiencing relationships that offer little guidance or support. Accordingly, the purpose of this dissertation research was to explore the EFL pre-service teachers’ perceptions towards the support they received from their practicum teacher while they conducted their six-week practicum in local educational institutions in Chetumal, Quintana Roo. The goal of this research was to understand what the pre-service teachers’ needs are and identify what enhancements need to be done to improve the quality of the practicum experience in this university. A collective case study design was used. Therefore, participants were six EFL pre-service teachers enrolled in the course of ACPLE-144 Práctica Docente I in the University of Quintana Roo, in Chetumal. Data sources included open-ended interviews and personal narratives. Additionally, the theoretical framework that underpinned this study was Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory. Findings indicated that EFL pre-service teachers believed that the number of supervisions they went through was insufficient while they conducted their six-week practicum. Nonetheless, they reported that this dearth of supervision was compensated by the frequent use of Facebook, as it was used to be in constant interaction with their practicum teacher. Furthermore, these pre-service teachers commented that their practicum teacher guided and supported them in various ways besides supervising and providing them with feedback. Another significant finding was that, although participants perceived their practicum as short, having this first-hand experience was a good professional initiation.