AN ANALYSIS OF HOW TEACHING PRACTICE STUDENTS
ACQUIRED PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE TO TEACH ENGLISH
IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
THESIS
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Sarjana Pendidikan
Eko Winarsih 112008016
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
SATYA WACANA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
SALATIGA
PUBLICATION AGREEMENT DECLARATION
As a member of the (SWCU) Satya Wacana Christian University academic community, I verify that:
Name : Eko Winarsih
Student ID Number : 112008016
Study Program : English Language Teaching Department Faculty : Language and Literature
Kind of Work : Undergraduate Thesis
In developing my knowledge, I agree to provide SWCU with a non-exclusive royalty free right for my intellectual property and the contents there in entitled:
An Analysis of How Teaching Practice Students acquired pedagogical knowledge to Teach English in Secondary Schools
along with any pertinent equipment.
With this non-exclusive royalty free right, SWCU maintains the right to copy, reproduce, print, publish, post, display, incorporate, store in or scan into a retrieval system or database, transmit, broadcast, barter or sell my intellectual property, in whole or in part without my express written permission, as long as my name is still included as the writer.
This declaration is made according to the best of my knowledge.
Made in : Salatiga
Date : 11 February 2013 Verified by signee,
Eko Winarsih Approved by
Thesis Supervisor Thesis Examiner
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
This thesis contains no such material as has been submitted for examination in any course or accepted for the fulfillment of any degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and my belief, this contains no material previously published or written by any other person except where due reference is made in the text.
Copyright@ 2013. Eko Winarsih and Anne Indrayanti Timotius M.Ed
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced by any means without the permission of at least one of the copyright owners or the English Department, Faculty of Language and Literature, Satya Wacana University, Salatiga.
Eko Winarsih:
AN ANALYSIS OF HOW TEACHING PRACTICE STUDENTS ACQUIRED
them, TP was their first experience to teach „real‟ students in a formal academic institution. As a result, there might be many things that were still new when they started to do the TP.Because of this issue, the research attempted to answer the question: How do student teachers acquire pedagogical knowledge in their Teaching Practice? To answer the research question, a qualitative research was done through some interviews with twenty ED students who have done TP in some secondary schools. The result of this paper shows that the participants develop their pedagogical knowledge during their TP program in some ways, like by participating actively in teaching, learning from mentor teachers, doing observation, interacting with other student teachers, imitating their mentor teacher and other student teachers, and learning from their teaching reflection.
Keywords: pedagogical knowledge, Teaching Practice
INTRODUCTION
Faculties in the field of education in Indonesia must have the teaching practice subject in the curriculum. The writer of this study also experience TP as one of the requirements to graduate from the faculty or department. However, there are some requirements before taking TP and they must have passed it before they were allowed to take TP. Those requirements are
1
subjects related to learning theories that help the students to obtain pedagogical knowledge through the materials and mini practice in the class.
Teaching Practicum (TP) is the process where the students apply the learning theories and also can teach other students from gaining pedagogical knowledge while they do TP. TP is also the time when students learn how to manage a classroom or manage students in real schools. As Nasa (2002) stated, TP is a process when the student teacher who is doing TP will have some experiences in their teaching or how they manage the students in the classroom. During TP, the students will gain pedagogical knowledge related to the way they know and learn about teaching. TP is a tool to build the student‟s pedagogical knowledge and
to explore their ability and creativity to teach and handle the students while teaching in some schools or institutes.
From my research, TP helped the student teachers to socialize with others. In other words, the student teachers who are doing TP would interact with the other TP students in the schools where they taught, and also with the mentor teachers, and other teachers in the schools. Throughout the program, the student teachers may also interact with other student teachers, to share about their experience while teaching the students or to share some problems and try to solve them with each other. Since TP was the first time for many of the student teachers to teach the students in a formal school, it may be a little bit difficult for the student teachers to know how to teach the students well or to manage the classroom well. This is probably because some of the student teachers had no teaching experience before. Therefore, it is while doing TP that the student teachers may get or acquire pedagogical knowledge to help them to teach the students in schools.
This study tried to analyze how the student teachers (Teaching Practicum students) gain the pedagogical knowledge in their TP. I hope that this study will be very useful for the students in education faculties, especially those who are going to do or doing TP in secondary to acquire the pedagogical knowledge in their teaching and learning theories through TP in several schools by knowing some strategies in doing teaching practice.
Some basic theories that become the foundation of the research will be presented below. They are related to pedagogical knowledge and community of practice.
Pedagogical Knowledge
As cited by Billet (2001, p.xv1), the term of the word pedagogy is “the science and art of teaching, but it is often used to describe an approach to how learning should proceed.” Therefore, the term pedagogical knowledge may be described as the knowledge about the way or strategies on how to teach effectively and also as the knowledge about teaching approaches (Timotius, 2011, p.182). Pollard (2010) also describes pedagogy as “the practice of teaching framed and informed by a shared and structured body of knowledge”. According to Timotius (2011), pedagogical knowledge highlights the „teaching skills‟ and the teaching content that contain “knowledge of lesson structure” and “knowledge of subject matter” (Leinhardt and Smith, 1985, in Timotius, 2011).
and incentives.” In other words, the mentor teachers helped the student teachers to teach well. They would always monitor the student teachers while teaching the students in class. The mentor teacher‟s function not only as mentors, but also as motivators, to improve the student teachers‟ skill and to help them to face and handle the students in the real situation in the
formal schools.
Pedagogical knowledge can also be acquired from observation – that is by observing the other student teachers or their mentor teacher. The term “observation” means “looking at
something without influencing it and simultaneously recording it for later analysis” (True, 1983). From observation, the student teacher will be able to know the situation in the class and the students‟ characteristics. By doing observations, the student teacher as „a trainee teacher‟ will be able to recognize the situation in the class or the characteristics of the
students before they teach. Other researcher, Wajnryb (1991) also quoted that “A trainee teacher with the freedom to observe teaching is allowed time and space to become familiar with the culture of the classroom … before having to try on any active aspects of the teacher‟s role.” Through observation, the student teachers may think of some strategies to
teach the students and it will simultaneously help the student teachers to obtain the pedagogical knowledge they need to teach a certain class.
Community of Practice
It cannot be denied that while the student teachers are doing their TP, they are being in a community of practice (CoP), that is the TP CoP. According to Wenger (1998):
A community of practice (CoP) is any group of people whose members have a common interest in a subject, problem or goal; through collaboration, negotiation and sharing of ideas, they find solutions and new ideas.
information, or strategies in the teaching and learning process in the class. They also have some feedback or evaluation to each others in the CoP.
Ali (2001) argued that CoP is very important to create development in informal learning and working groups in some organizations. The student teachers are the member of CoP itself that worked together in the same TP site. He also explained that the student teachers might have group discussions for each member in TP sites. In fact, TP helps the student teacher to cooperate with each other by helping each other to solve problem and to manage the class or the students; for example by sharing their ideas to each other to get some strategies to teach the students in the class.
CoP has also been introduced as a new organizational form, which according to its proponents “promises to complement existing structures and radically galvanize knowledge
sharing, learning, and change” (Wenger & Snyder, 2000, p.139). Through CoP, the students can share and transfer knowledge to other people in some institutions or schools, formally or informally.
THE STUDY
Context of the study
Participants of the Study
The participants of the study were twenty ED students who have done TP in secondary schools located in Salatiga, Central Java, Indonesia. Twenty participants were chosen because I hope to get enough data within the limited time we had to collect the data. A purposive sampling or “criterion-based” selection (Blackedge, 2001, p.57) was used in choosing the participants. The participants were selected to meet the criteria were the ED students who are in the 2nd semester at the end of the academic year (2011/2012) who have done TP since they were just finished TP.
Data Collection Instrument
In attempting to answer the research question, the data was collected through semi-structured interview to allow the participants to answer the questions flexibly. The flexibility provides the sub questions that would provide follow-up questions and addition questions to make the data became richer (Patton, 1990). The questions for interviews focused on the TP students‟ pedagogical knowledge in their teaching practice to teach English in certain schools
or institutions.. From the interview, richer data from the participants was hoped to be gathered, because we could ask and explore the answer or data that we need to know to help the data collection.
For the study, qualitative data was gathered. According to McKay (2006, p.6) qualitative study begin with the assumption that the research topic must be understood “holistically”. The study is done by taking into account a variety of factors that might affect
(Brown & Rodgers, 2002; Nunan, 1989). The interview focused on how the students‟ teacher acquires their pedagogical knowledge in their TP to teach English.
DISCUSSION
Before I came to the data analysis, I would like to give the general information about the personal background of the participants. All the participants taught in several secondary schools in Salatiga, Tuntang and Banyubiru (Junior High Schools and Senior High Schools). The more specific personal background information about the participants was attached in the appendixes.
Since this study is aimed to share about how the student teachers gain the pedagogical knowledge, were 12 themes that I found after I collected the data. These themes were based on the interview results. The themes were based on the majority answers from the interview questions.
1. Participating Actively in Teaching-Related Activities
It has been the obligation for student teacher to participate actively in teaching activities. According Tuli & File (2009):
“Knowing what to teach, how to teach it, and what methods to use with particular topics, particular
kinds of students and in particular settings … should aim to develop the knowledge, skills and
attributes of pre-service teachers‟ in order to prepare them to teach effectively.” (p.110)
“Yes I learnt about teaching by participating in teaching, because from lesson plan we have to know about teaching, we have to imagine about teaching. If I make the activities like this, is it suitable for the students? Is it appropriate for our students? So I also learn from it, too.” (Dewi, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“It can build my knowledge more about teaching.” (Mocca, SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
All the participants explained that they had participated in teaching by making lesson plans before they teach, making the materials for the students and teaching the students in a class. In line with previous study done by Ferber & Nillas (2010) that the student teachers should prepare material for teaching. By participating actively, the student teachers would learn about how to teach well and it will prepare the student teachers to teach the students. Without participating actively, the student teachers could not have preparation to teach or they could not teach the student maximally. missing grammar. Because I think I nervous in the first teaching so it very messy in my pronunciation and my grammar” (Maytri , SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
“I have done many mistakes because it is my first time to do my TP, so it‟s my big problem. For the next teaching I will do better than before. The error maybe about my pronunciation and then grammar”” (Yong, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“It was not about my teaching material, but it was about me. My voice was not clear and louder, so on the next teaching I tried to make it louder.” (Wani , SMAN1 Salatiga)
teachers felt nervous then they made mistakes in their teaching. Mostly the errors that the student teachers made was miss-pronouncing the words or sometimes the made grammatical error in their teaching. Errors could improve the student teachers‟ awareness for not to make
the same mistake in their teaching. It also could help the student teachers to improve some skills that might not maximal before. That was one of the ways for student teachers to gain pedagogical knowledge from their errors during doing TP. From the mispronouncing some words in English, they learnt about how to pronounce words better and clearer for next teaching.
3. Designing and Making the Teaching Materials
To teach the students, the student teachers should design and create their own materials. The materials should be interesting and creative so it would attract the students‟ attention to learn the materials and help the students to get the knowledge from the materials given. The mentor teacher usually demand the student teacher to make their own materials based on the topics given from mentor teachers.
All the participants stated that they looked for idea from the Internet to design the materials or to create the activities to teach the students by modifying it. Moreover, some of them also use books or students handouts to help them to make activities in their teaching. These were what some participants mentioned related to material development:
“I used electronic book and printed book provided in the library in that school and also I tried to find additional material from the Internet.” (Dudu, SMPN2 Tuntang)
“I usually based on the book or I found the material in internet, but sometimes I made the questions myself for reading passages.” (Wati, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“For the material, especially for the grammar, I used from the book from the mentor teacher. But for the games, I used from the internet.” (Garru, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
As a teacher, they have to give an appropriate material to be taught, so that they can share the knowledge by giving the materials related to the topic they taught.
4. Problem Solving
During TP, the student teacher would face different situation in teaching and different characteristics of the students in a class. Since most participants stated that it was the first time to teach, sometimes it was crucial to face and solve some problems that appeared and happened in teaching. As the student teachers, they were not only teaching the students, but also they were compulsory to solve and handle some problems that might happened in their TP. From problem solving, the student teachers would learn about the things related to teaching, because they would get some knowledge on how they can handle and solve the problem in teaching. All the participants stated that when solve the problem which sometimes happened in their TP, they would ask for other student teachers‟ help because some of them could not handle the situation by themselves. However, some of the participants stated that they sometimes could handle the problem by themselves, because they had their own strategies to handle and solve the problem. By problem solving, the student teachers learnt how they should face and handle the situation in their TP and they would learn how to have a good practice in teaching and below are the statements from the participants stated that by problem-solving they learnt how they teach well:
“I learn with others, for example when in office hour, we share our problem together and solve it together., the better way to deal with the students, the better ways to use this kind of strategies or to use the material” (Sabat, SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
“Sometimes I used my own ability to handle the students, but it is also possible for me to have the problem solving by asking my friends and also the mentor teacher.” (Dudu, SMPN2 Tuntang)
From the interview, mostly the participants found problem about managing the classroom since the students had different characteristics and treatments. To be a good teacher, the teacher must be having their own style to handle the students and situation in a class (Dunbar, 2004). So had the student teachers, they had their own style to manage the classroom and the students.
5. Interaction
During their TP program, the student teachers inevitably socialize or interact with other teachers or student teachers. Interaction here means that the student teachers meet and talk with others by sharing their experiences in teaching or just to talk about what they have done in class. One of the benefits of doing this is to learn from each other about the way they can teach or manage classrooms well. Through the interaction, the student teachers could exchange ideas, information, knowledge, experiences, situation or even feeling of teaching. This was similar to a study done by (Hawk, Cowley, Hill, & Sutherland, 2001) who argued that an effective teachers are people who have a lot of interactions with their environment.
The result of the interview shows that 19 of 20 participants interacted with other student teachers to share their ideas during their TP program. Some statements below show that from interaction, they exchanged some ideas and information about teaching and from the interaction they learnt about teaching:
“I always talk to my friends and sharing what should I teach and what should I manage the class and I also ask some suggestions to make good teaching” (Yong, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“I interacted with then when there is office hours, and I can share a lot of experiences that I could grab something that maybe can improve my skill” (Yani, SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
“From interaction, I asked whether my activity was appropriate or not and which activity is the best in my teaching” (Sabat, SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
From my research, during the TP program, student teachers usually have office hours to have consultation with mentor teachers or just being on duty to stay in the office as other teachers in the school do. It is usually during the office hour when the student teachers are able talk to each other about their materials or their experiences in TP. As a result, they can discuss about some ideas to teach the students. From interaction, the student teacher might learn how to handle the certain students in the same class, or to create the same games or activity in different class to make their teaching more fun. Interaction actually helped them to create or to develop the same or even new ideas in their teaching.
6. Mentor Teachers’ Guidance
Mentor teachers are the teachers who teach English to the students in certain schools and when there are TP student teachers placed in their schools, they also guide the student teachers before and during their TP. Some of the mentor teacher‟s responsibilities are to help
the student teachers to teach and suggest some strategies in teaching the students. Basically, mentor teachers guide the student teachers in doing their TP. They help the student teachers by giving advice about developing & delivering the materials and monitoring the student teachers while they are teaching the students. This was similar to the study done by Little and Nelson (1990) that the mentor teachers function as the guide to monitor the student teachers behavior and action in teaching and help the student teacher to improve their skill in teaching the students. As an experienced teacher, the mentor teacher can help the student teacher to develop their teaching skill, especially in speaking, listening, reading and writing since they were English teachers.
that the mentor teacher‟s guidance was very helpful for them to decide of the teaching
strategies in teaching. The guidance could be suggestions to deliver the materials or tricks to handle some students in a class from the feedback. As reported in The Program Handbook:
Mentoring Beginning Teachers (Garvey, 1996-98), one of the mentor teacher‟s
responsibilities is to model and demonstrate effective teaching strategies, to observe and provide feedback. Below was what two of the participants stated related to the help of the mentor teacher in their teaching during TP:
“I learnt how to teach, how to handle the students because the context is in the real Teaching Practicum. I had to face a lot of students and their characteristics are different in some classes, there are serious students and then there are calm students. So, I know a lot from my mentor teacher, actually.” (Mocca, SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
“Yes, he gives me explanation about the situation of the students, the type of students that I was going to teach and he told me about some useful strategies that I might use in my teaching.” (Elba, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“From my mentor teacher, I learnt how the handle the naughty students, talkative students, and I learnt how to make the class attractive and not boring.” (Maytri, SMP Kristen satya Wacana)
7. Teaching Reflection
Reflection is a main idea in teacher education (Korthagen & Vasalos, 2005; Loughran, 2006; Moon, 2004) During the TP program, student teachers must write reflections after each teaching. The refection reflected on how they teach the students in the class, and to know the strengths and weaknesses in teaching in certain classes. From reflection, they are able to measure their knowledge about they way they to teach the students. The reflection may also help the student teachers to improve their teaching skills and strategies for the next teaching. Below were the statements from student teachers who stated that by making reflection, it would help them to improve their teaching skills:
“I think by reflecting my experience it made me know what mistakes I made, the lack of my teaching, the good of my teaching, so I believe that by doing reflection on my teaching it makes me better in teaching skill.” (Sabat, SMP Kristen Satya Wacana)
“I always reflect to my teaching at that time, about my strengths and my weaknesses when I teach the class, and what about the students and what about my AVA and also about my activities that I gave to my students, is it interesting or not.” (Yong, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
Through reflection, there could be new knowledge and conceptions about teaching, continuous professional development on a personal level, an awareness of learning, new ideas and solutions and the creation to teach the students (Moon, 2004). 19 of 20 participants explained that teaching reflection helped a lot to improve their skill in teaching and help the student teachers to have the better teaching.
8. Observation
At the beginning of their TP program, the student teachers must observe their mentor teacher. They also need to observe the other student teachers teaching at the same school throughout the program. As stated in the introduction, the term “observation” means “looking
at something without influencing it and simultaneously recording it for later analysis” (True, 1983). The student teachers must observe their mentor teacher to get some information about the class situation and obtain some characteristics of the students in the class so that they handle the students based on their characteristics. Observation is basically done to help the student to prepare their selves before teaching the students and to learn teaching a particular class.
From the interview, 18 of the 20 participants admitted that by observing their friends or other student teachers while teaching had helped them improve their strategies to teach and to handle the students in the class, not only to teach the students. Below are some of the participants‟ statements who did observation:
“Actually I more concerned about the material that the other student teachers used. They used many interesting material and interesting activities, so I learn from them to produce the interesting materials and activities.” (Lida, SMAN1 Salatiga)
“From observation to friends, I learnt the way they manage the class … I learnt how they kept the
“From observation, I got the strategy how to manage the classroom, and I got the way my friend taught the student, the skill that my friend used, then I got their preparation to use the material.” (Angela, SMPN2 Tuntang)
“By observing my partner, I learnt many things from my partner, because she explained the material well and then she was very friendly to the students, so based on her teaching I get a little bit the way to teach well.” (Wani, SMAN1 Salatiga)
From observation, the student teachers can get some knowledge about teaching on how to transform understanding, performance skills or pedagogical action from other teachers (Shulman, 1987). The student teachers could also improve their strategy or skill in managing classroom, time and students.
9. Group Discussion
Group discussions help the student teacher to gather the ideas and information about teaching. This theme actually relate to interaction. This was similar to Rotter‟s theory (Rotter, 1954) people can learn and sharing knowledge and information through interaction. To be more specific, group discussion only done among the student teachers in the same TP site. Same idea with interaction that has been explained before, in group discussion the student teacher basically share about their experiences in teaching or share some knowledge and strategies about teaching. Nevertheless, group discussion was more intensive and personal because members of the group were in the same TP site and they knew each others. From group discussion, the student teachers could help each other about the teaching strategy such as the way they deliver the material or the way they handle and treat the students in a class. From group discussion, the student teachers might gain some knowledge about how to act or to be a good teacher from the other student teachers‟ experiences, so from that the student
teacher could develop and improve their skill based on the strategies they had:
“I learnt from group discussion about teaching how to teach well, how to create the creative activities
and grab the students‟ attention and encouraging the students to learn” (Wardani, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“In group discussion, I learnt about how to prepare the material well, how to deliver the material clearly and how to manage the class and the time” (Wani, SMAN1 Salatiga)
From interview, there were 16 of 20 participants stated that through group discussion, they learn many strategies to teach the students well and they got some references to make creative and good materials for the students. From my research, the strategy that they got from their friend usually was the strategy to get the students‟ attention in a class or strategy to build the students‟ enthusiasm to learn in a class.
10.Doing What Other Student Teachers Have Done in the Past
In some ways, to gain the pedagogical knowledge, the student teachers sometimes not only learnt from mentor teachers‟ guidance or the other student teachers‟ suggestion, but also
they learnt from the previous student teachers teaching-related activities. From my research, some student teachers stated that sometimes they learnt about teaching by doing what other student teachers have done in the past, for example they use previous teaching materials and activities or previous lesson plan. The student teachers actually did not exactly use the same materials or activities or lesson plan, but they just used it for their references to teach. Sometimes they modified previous material because at that time they had the same topic or materials, so they might use the same materials but they modified with other activities. 9 of 20 participants stated that they had ever used the previous materials from the previous student teachers who had done in TP as their references of their teaching materials and below are the statements from those who used the previous student teachers‟ materials or activities:
“Actually I asked the previous student teacher in the same place with my practicum and than actually I did not copy all the material, but I pick some interesting material that I think it is appropriate for my teaching.” (Lida, SMAN1 Salatiga)
“I used the same materials, because we used some the same material but I modified with the interesting activities.” (Garru, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
From my research, by doing what other student teachers have done in the past, the student teachers could learn how to create a good material which is appropriate for teaching and from the previous teaching materials. The student teacher could also gain some information and knowledge about teaching the students in a class from the previous teaching lesson plan or activities. This was similar to a study done by Ethell & McMeniman (2000) who argue that student teachers can get more knowledge and experience from the previous experience or failure to improve their learning of teaching.
11.Imitation
According to Oxford Dictionaries, imitation can be defined as “the action of using someone or something as a model”. For some of the student teachers, TP is the time when
they first teach real students. Therefore, some of them may imitate some strategies that are used by other student teachers in TP site. This was also evident in my research. The student teachers mostly imitated the way the other student teachers explain and delivering material and imitated the way the other student teachers provide and giving games in their teaching. Here are some results of interview from the participants who imitated the other student teachers‟ teaching:
“Sometimes I imitate the way my friend handle the students when students were talk too noisy or behave uncontrollable” (Elba, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
“I imitate the way the other students encourage the students to get their attention by speaking louder so
they focus on my voice” (Wardani, SMA Kristen Satya Wacana)
Based on the interview, 8 of the 20 participants imitated what other student teacher did when doing TP. They explained that imitation help them to deliver the materials well to the students and sometimes by imitating their friends, it could help them to build their confidence to teach the students. This was similar to Bandura‟s theory (Bandura, 1977) that people often learn by imitating others.
12.Other Strategies
In addition, based on the interview result there were 2 participants added other strategies to gain the pedagogical knowledge. There were classroom management, time management, and relationship among the students. Below is the sample interview excerpt from Mocca who have done TP at SMP Kristen Satya Wacana:
I think want to share to you strategies how to teach, how to handle students, how to manage class and time management. I think the first one is that you have to know with your students. That's the first one: knowing your students. If you know the students well, I think you can treat them according to their characteristic and the second one is that you have to build a close relation not only with your mentor teacher, with your students teachers, but you have also to build close relation with your students. By doing so, it can help you to increase the first point. So the two are related one another. So I can know about the teaching or how to teach well by doing those two points.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated the way student teachers acquired pedagogical knowledge to teach English during their TP program. Twenty ED students who have done their TP in several secondary schools were interviewed. The results show that during TP, the student teachers acquired pedagogical knowledge in some ways, like: actively participating in teaching, learning from error, designing and making the teaching materials, solving the problems, interaction, guidance from mentor teacher, teaching reflection, doing observation, group discussion, doing what other student teachers have done in the past, imitation, and there are also other strategies about managing classroom and having a good relationship with the students. From those ways, the student teacher would learn about the way or strategies on how to teach effectively and also as the knowledge about teaching approaches (Timotius, 2011, p.182).
As a teacher, the student teacher must actively participate in the class, like: taking a class, having some strategies or method to teach the students, and improving teaching skills (Tuli & File, 2009). To get knowledge about teaching, the student teacher could observe the other teachers. From the observation, the student teacher also might gain the pedagogical knowledge by imitating the way other student teachers‟ teaching from what they have seen from other teachers (Shulman, 1987). Mentor teacher as an experience teacher, also took a part to guide the student teachers to gain the knowledge about teaching by giving suggestion or advice like: managing classroom, improving skills in teaching from previous mistakes, solving problem in teaching and making an appropriate materials for the students (e.g., Altan, 1995; Dunbar, 2004; Garvey, 1996-98; Hawk & Hill, 1998; Orange, 2008).
could enrich the knowledge about teaching by sharing experiences, ideas, and strategies about teaching.
Acknowledgement
References
Ali, S. (2011). Communities of practice and teacher development – lessons learnt from an educational innovation in Pakistan. Journal of Research and Reflections in Education , 5 (2), 70 -82.
Altan, M. Z. (1995). Culture in EFL contexts: Classroom and coursebook. MET, 4(2), 58-60.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press.
Beck, S. (2008). The teacher‟s role and approaches in a knowledge society. Cambridge
Journal of Education , 38 (4), 465–481.
Billet, S. (2001). Learning in the workplace: Strategies for effective practice. Crows Nest, N.S.W.:Allen & Unwin.
Blackledge, A. (2001). Complex positioning: Women negotiating identity and power in a minority urban setting. In A. Pavlenko, A. Blackledge, I. Piller & M. Teutsch-Dwyer (Eds.), Multilingualism, second language learning, and gender. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Block, D. (1991). Some thoughts on DIY materials design. ELT Journal, 45(3), 211-217. Brown, J. D., & Rodgers, T. S. (2002). Doing second language research. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Burgess, R. G. (1984). In the field. London: Allen and Unwin.
Dunbar, C. (2004). Best practices in classroom management. Michigan State University, College of Education. Michigan State University.
Garvey, D. J. (1996-1998). Mentoring Beginning Teachers. the Alberta Teachers‟ Association.
Harmer, J. (2001). Coursebooks. A human, cultural and linguistic disaster? MET, 8(4), 5-10. Hawk, K., Cowley, E. T., Hill, J., & Sutherland, S. (2001, December). The importance of the
teacher/student relationship for Maori and Pasifika students. A paper presented to NZARE Conference, Christchurch, December, 2001.
Hawk, K. and Hill, J. (1998) “Teaching students under stress: Implications for schools and
teachers in multi-cultural schools”. A paper presented to NZARE Conference, Dunedin, December, 1998.
Korthagen, F., Vasalos, A. (2005) Levels in reflection: core reflection as a means to enhance professional growth. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 11 (1), 47-71. Little, J., & Nelson, L. (1990). A leader’s guide to mentor training. Far West Laboratory for
Educational Research and Development.
Loughran, J. (2006). Developing a Pedagogy of Teacher Education: Understanding teaching and learning about teaching. London: Routledge Talyor & Francis Group.
McKay, S. L. (2006). Researching second language classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Moon, J. (2004). A Handbook ofreflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice. London: Routledge.
Olson, M. H., & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2009). An introduction to theories of learning (Eight ed.). Pearson Education.
Orange, C. (2008). 25 Biggest Mistakes Teacher Make and and How to Avoid Them. United States of America: Corwin Press.
Podromou, L. (2002). The great ELT textbook debate. MET 11(4), 25-33.
Pollard, A. (ed) (2010) Professionalism and Pedagogy: A contemporary opportunity A Commentary by TLRP and GTCE. London: TLRP.
Rotter, J. B. (1954). Social learning and clinical psychology. New York: Prentice-Hall.
Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review , 57 (1), 1-21.
Thornbury, S. & Meddings, L. (2001). Coursebooks: The roaring in the chimney. MET, 8(4), 11-13.
Thornbury, S. & Meddings, L. (2002). Using a coursebook the Dogme way. MET, 11(1), 36-40.
Timotius, A.I. (2011, November 21-22). teachers' social pedagogical knowledge acquisition in a workplace: A knowledge management perspective. Teacher Education in Era of World Englishes , 181-193.
Tuli, F., & File, G. (2009). Practicum experience in teacher education. 5 (1), 107-116.
True, J. (1983). Finding out: Conducting and evaluating social research. Belmont.
Wajnryb, R. (1991). The long arm of the Vaupes River Indian: applications of the silent phase to teacher training. Prospect, 6, 3, 50-7
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Wilson, S. M., Shulman, L. S., & Richert, A. E. (1987). '150 different ways' of knowing: Representations of knowledge in teaching. In J. Calderhead (Ed.), Exploring teachers' thinking (pp. 104-124). London: Cassell.
Appendixes
APPENDIX 1
Personal Background of the Participants
NO PSEUDONYMS GENDER TP SITE
1 Mocca M SMP Kristen Satya Wacana
2 Lida F SMA Negeri 1 Salatiga
3 Dudu F SMP Negeri 2 Tuntang
4 Gabriel F SMP Kristen Satya Wacana
5 Dewi F SMA Kristen Satya Wacana
6 Prapti F SMA Negeri 1 Salatiga
7 Elba F SMA Kristen Satya Wacana
8 Wardani F SMA Kristen Satya Wacana
9 Villa F SMP Kristen Satya Wacana
10 Sabat F SMP Kristen Satya Wacana
11 Loda F SMA Negeri 1 Salatiga
12 Wani F SMA Negeri 1 Salatiga
13 Wati F SMA Kristen Satya Wacana
14 Garru F SMA Kristen Satya Wacana
15 Yong F SMA Kristen Satya Wacana
16 Setya F SMP Kristen Satya Wacana
17 Angela F SMP Negeri 2 Tuntang
18 Maytri F SMP Kristen Satya Wacana
19 Fanti F SMP Negeri 1 Banyubiru
APPENDIX 2 Interview Questions Interview Questions:
I. Profile Details:
1. Student Angkatan (2006,2007,2008,…, etc):
2. The place for teaching practice (School or institution):
II. Questions
1. How was your practice in the school you‟ve taught? (warm up question)
2. How many teaching that you have done as long as you have teaching practice? (warm up
question)
3. How do you feel to teach students in schools? (opening question)
4. How do you become knowledgeable about how to teach?
a. Did you learn through guidance from mentor teacher? (e.g. through discussion, by asking
other lecturers for advice about teaching).
b. Did you learn by observing other student teachers who do teaching-related-things (e.g. I
see them teaching, preparing to teach, etc.).
c. Did you learn by interacting with other student teachers who do teaching-related-things?
Or maybe with your mentor teacher?
d. Did you learn by imitating what other student teachers do when doing
teaching-related-things? (e.g. taking a class or delivering a lecture; explaining, describing, or illustrating
ideas, concepts, and theories, etc.; asking questions, developing skills, or making
preparations to teach, etc.).
e. Did you learn by participating actively in teaching-related activities? (e.g. planning a
syllabus, preparing teaching material, preparing a lesson plan, taking a class, etc.).
f. Did you learn by doing what other teachers or student teachers have done in the past?
(e.g. using previous syllabuses, teaching materials, lesson plans, etc.).
g. Did you learn by reflecting on my own teaching experience?
h. Did you learn through group discussion?
i. Did you learn through error?
j. Did you learn by discovering things about teaching skill or teaching content from various
impersonal sources? (e.g. from books, journals, the internet, etc.)
k. Did you learn by problem-solving with others or your own?
APPENDIX 3 The Sample Interview Excerpt
* good morning Mozes.
- Good morning.
* How are you?
- I'm fine
*oh..okay..emm..I'm going to interview you related to my thesis..
-okay
* it's related to the pedagogical knowledge
-okay the pedagogical knowledge
* Well, before we have, emm.. start our interview, what is the term of pedagogical?
- the term of pedagogy e…as far as I know the term of pedagogy is related to the educational factor
and it's related to students' ability and capability.
* is that related to the teaching?
- emm...yes, more less pedagogy is related to teaching, educate...educating, and yeah something
related to that.
*ya..emm..So I know that you and me is about in the same practice place
-yes area
*I don't want you ask you about warm up question
-okay…
* So we just to the point. So, I was wondering about how you become knowledgeable about how to
teach. So I mean, how you know about the teaching itself, how the to teach students, how to manage
classroom. I have about 5 questions. Did you learn through guidance from other TP students, other
student teachers? Speaking about how to teach the students?
- Oh yes…Actually I learnt that e…my partner actually in my teaching practicum site that there are a
lot of things that I can learn. I can learn how to manage the class, the way to teach and I believe that
can learn the best from the one, and I can learn something from e… maybe the weakness from emm..
my partner, so I can built the weakness to the a strength for my teaching practice. That I learnt from
e... the teaching practicum partner.
*so did you learn e… how to teach, e.. I mean you have done in teaching practicum. am I right?
-Yes.
*So you have to learn about how to teach.
-learn how to teach. Yes.
*oh… is it your first time to teach the students?
-oh, actually no, because I have e... I have taught my student also but in private course. yes, but in the
real situation this is the first time I taught a lot of students in front of me.
* yes. so you just became a teacher and we're pretending as the real teacher.
-not pretending, but I'm really really became a teacher.
*Yes, so I was wondering emm... to the things that related to the teaching about the pedagogy itself,
So I mean how, how you become... it is still the same with my question about how you became
knowledgeable about how to teach
*so you learn about teaching itself, you learn about how to teach to the students. Is it because you
have to research and teach a new subject I mean in the case that you have to teach the new subject that
the students hasn't learn before?
-emm.. yes some of e… your explanations I have done it in my teaching practice but e.. I used e..
what 's that? experience I think.
*Experience?
- experience. More or less i used experience for my teaching practice so as i said before that I also
learnt from em.. my partner, my teaching practicum, e.. partner in my teaching practicum site. So,
everything that become my experience, it can built up my ability, and it can also strengthen my e..
what? my skill to teach in e.. TP site e.. from the experience I can say that I learnt the way to teach. I
can learnt e.. the way to manage classroom or time management it because of my experience for
example from ? When I taught at the very first time in my teaching practicum, I faced some problems
determine my next teaching so my experience can be what's that? learning point I think. Learning
point for my further teaching.
*okay, emm..I have some points here related to the strategy you learn about how to e.. how you to
teach the students because you said before it is the first time to teach in a formal school.
-Yes.
*please say yes or no, but I want you to have a little explanation
-okay..
*so, did you learn through guidance from other lectures, I mean your mentor teacher?
-Yes.
*Did you learn by observing other, I mean mentor teacher?
-Yes.
*okay, did you learn by interacting with other student teachers or mentor teachers by like emm.. you
have to interacting like you have consultation, or you ask the mentor teacher or your friends about
how to teach?
-yes. consultation and reflection. yes, actually.
*okay, e... do you learn by imitating what other student teachers do when doing teaching? I mean like
for e.. how you observe, how your friends ,or how other students teachers give explanations or maybe
that explain the materials in the class? It's relate to the observation.
-okay. Imitating from my observation. No. Because I have my own style.
*Do you emm.. get knowledgeable about how to teach by participating actively in teaching?
-oh yes actually. participating actively. It can yeah.. built my knowledge more about teaching.
* yeah, for example preparing lesson plan,
-yes, actually. that a must!
*-do you learn the way teaching strategies by doing other mentor teacher or students teachers in past
like you using previous syllabuses or using previous teaching materials?
-previous teaching materials...?
* so you know in our school there were previous materials from our previous angkatan that were left
-as far as i taught the students, I do not use that .
*No?
-no
*Why?
-because.. yeah it's no relevant about e.. my what's that? my topic because more or less my topic more
on e... communicative skill so is not suitable with e.. properties
* so do you learn how to teach by reflecting on your own teaching experience?
-oh, of course yes.
*like what?
-like e..as I said before that reflection e.. for example i have some what? what's that? e.. problems and
I know the way to solve and the problems will not appear again in my next teaching
*do you learn how to teach by..oh I mean through group discussion?
-group discussion. yes. But it just a little, because, e... yes I think group discussion can help me but it's
not e..great help, because e..we seldom do that, but once I do that with e.. my partner, e...just three to
be of TP partner in my TP site. I discussed about e.. the material because one time there is.. what's
that? a rule that the material, the text has to be the same from one teaching e.. one student teacher and
another student teachers and from the same text we have to built another or different project activity is
from one students teacher to another. So we need to discuss, but it just a little.
*so do you learn through error?
- error. Yes, actually.
*ok. did you learn by discovering things about teaching skill or teaching content from various i
personal sources? from book, journals, or internet?
-discovering things. So made it by my self that I actually do that.
*But I mean you make by yourself but you e... have reference from book?
-yes I have sources from book, but the text I made it by myself.
*did you modify it?
-yes that's modify. Modify what I got from book or another media.
-yes, problem solving.
*by problem solving on your experience?
-my own.
*Oh, I just wondering have you, oh do you have other strategies on how you learn about teaching
itself?
- yes, in learning. ok, I think I have one that I want to share to you strategies how to teach, how to
handle students, how to manage class and time management. I think the first one is that you have to
know with your subject. that's the first one: knowing your subject. If you know the students well, I
think you can treat the according to their characteristic, for example I have known one student and the
student is like what's that? shy person and embrace e.. the student won't to answer or say something in
front of, oh no in front of the class, but in classroom activities, and knowing that characteristic, I can
e...conclude that the student need my attention more than the others, so I can teach e.. the student
itself by focusing on their understanding, so that's the first one: knowing e... the students well. And
the second one is that e... you have to built a close relation I think. Not only e... with your mentor
teacher, with your students teachers, but you have also to built close relation with your students by
doing so, it can help you to increase the first point. So the two are related one another. So I can ya...
know about the teaching or how to teach well by doing those two points.
*that's it?
-there are a lot, but I think it's the most important one.
*So now, the next question. How do you become knowledgeable about the content of the subject you
teach? I mean, you teach about English. So, how you become knowledgeable about the subject? how
you become what? master the content?
-ok I master the content or the subject.
*Is it almost similar with the strategies that I have said before. Did you master the subject by
observing the students firts or maybe consult your materials about the subject?
-yes about consultation.. yes I have done it but I seldom e...? because the time not according to my
schedule but e...the important point from mastery the material, I have to use the material or the lesson,
Junior High School or my Senior High School or my e.. university program, so I have to choose the
best e... subject that I master it well. So for example, I'm not good at grammar, so I know, oh..this is
e... one of my weakness. So, maybe I reduce, reduce the... what's that? the composition of grammar in
my teaching practicum, but I like for example writing. So, I will increase, increase the what's that? the
percentage of writing in my e... teaching practicum. So, i use that one. I consider which is the best for
my teaching according to my skill. That‟s the first point because when I know more about my skill
and it can also help me a lot.
*the point that I want to ask you how you... what? beside you just emm.... use their (previous
students) material, did you use the material by consultation or did you discuss with you friend?
-emm consultation... more on the discussion than consultation. But e.. I usually created by myself
before I e... taught the students...so for example: tomorrow I taught e...tomorrow I will teach my
students, so before that I read the material, I maybe built for example the analogy or maybe the
example that can help or support my explanation. so I read it before I taught.
*when we taught the students, the first thing you have to know how to teach well, you learn or you
make a good atmosphere. So have to be creative and you have to master the material because you
have to share your knowledge, so that the students will feel helpful by your explanation. And i want to
ask you about your background education experience. So before you take teaching practicum, you
know that you're going to teach the students. So now, I want to know your background education
experience that helped you to gain the knowledge. So tell me about your background education, I
mean as long as you learn or study in English department you learn about teaching...
-ok, e... I think in my study or educational background in university, e... most of the lesson that i have
taken from my study is more on the theories, so e...from the beginning of my study in the first term,
yeah...in the middle or maybe almost the end of the term in e... my study I think most of the lesson tell
me about the theories, for example how to develop material in curriculum material development
lesson course, that teach me how to develop the curriculum and how to suite one curriculum to
another, how to revise curriculum from one term to another term and also making lesson plan. That
the first one I e...taught eh, what's that? I learn in my study and after that I also taken TLS as you said
that i can teach student by doing this e... strategies. For example Audio-lingual Method, how to make
the students ? something and memories something or Direct method I just teach teach teach, drilling
drilling drilling and from my drilling, drilling have to conclude something. There are a lot of
strategies that i have learnt before in e... my TLS and also another courses that I have taken in my
study. But e...all of the theories cannot be used well for my teaching practicum or from my practice
when I do not implemented to e... what's that to be... what's that... not a teacher, but the theories can
be used for the real situation. So it's not just the theories, but we have to act the theories, apply the
theories, so when we know about this theories how can we use this theories to... our e.. teaching. So
when we teach a students, we can apply, we can use or we can what's that? implement the teaching
theories, so e... from educational background just two course that I recognize can help me a lot how
to apply the theories is from micro teaching and teaching practicum and.. I think those two course
help me a lot about this e...what? e...this teaching practice.
*you said that you have a private course? so from that you did you take some strategies to teach the
students when you teach in private course?
-e...the strategies, I usually use indirect method, because e... i know that the students in my course, my
private course had their what's that? their own needs and their own willingness that e... I have to
fulfill, so when my students and my private course need something to be deeper to the learning, so I
can e... teach the thing that my students need. For example when my student need more on speaking
practice, so I will drill speaking practice. So I use e...indirect speech or indirect method, yes, so I just
e...what's that? practice and the students do the practice and from the practice I can see that ohh...the
students need this one, this one, this one, so I will ? it later.
*So now just tell me about your experiences of learning about teaching matters in your practice place.
So face some matters in your teaching? you said that it's your first time to teach the students in a real
school.
-the matters or the problems, I think... how to handle the students, because one student different from
another. e.... and this problem, I think make me e... what's that? think more about to solve e... one
character and how to treat another character. So that the first problem that I face, I have to built e...
students, for example in one class, I have to make a material or design the material that this according
to for example 25,26 students. So that the first problem that I faced so I have to know the students and
the characteristic and design the material and the second problem is that e... I think team work,
because the students are not accustomed to work in a group, so I have to drill more how to work in a
group. So, this is e... from my experience. I e... I ask my students to work in a group with e... one
activity that I e... give to my students, and some of them e...don't want to do in a group. E....
yeah...some of them want to do the activity individually because of some reasons that I don't really
know, but yeah this is the problem too that I have to e...what's that? I have to apply with group work,
so they can know how to work in a group, how to discuss one another, how to share e... knowledge
from one another and can work in a team, not just individually.
*How do you know about the teaching itself?
-Honestly, I believe that e... every teacher, for example what's that? every student teacher in the TP
site, e... I think e... we as a students teacher has known, has already known before, but our knowledge
our understanding about teaching itself is not as big as now or not as big as when we e... take the
teaching practicum program. So I believe that I have known about teaching before I take this teaching
practicum, but my understanding about teaching is not as big as now. So from taking this course, my
