IN-PERSON: Applying Education
Abstract
Field experience has been touted as a way of providing student teachers the opportunity to acquire observation and teaching experience in classrooms. However, COVID-19 has affected various aspects of human life including teaching and learning. Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, the education system in the United Arab Emirates has embraced hybrid mode of teaching and learning. Consequently, student teachers are expected to take courses in hybrid mode as well as undertake field experience in similar mood. It remains unclear as to whether student teachers are acquiring the requisite skills for the future. Guided by Bandura’s social learning theory, this study attempted to enquire from student teachers the skills needed by teachers in contemporary era. Six focus group discussions were conducted with 24 student teachers who had completed field experience in Fall 2021 (n=10) and Spring 2022 (n= 14). The data were subjected to thematic analysis with the result presented under the following themes: understanding about learners, content knowledge, instructional practice and professional responsibilities. Although student teachers discussed adequacy of knowledge about learners and acquisition of content knowledge, they expressed a number of needs under instructional practice and professional responsibilities. The study concludes with a call for revision of teacher training curriculum to enable student teachers acquire practical experiences and improve classroom management skills.
Dr Maxwell Peprah Opoku is currently an Assistant Professor in Special Education at the United Arab Emirates University. He holds a PhD in Education from University of Tasmania, Australia. Before Joining UAEU, he worked as casual academic, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Australia. Maxwell has a passion for research and his areas of specialities are as follows: gifted education, disability research, special education, cerebral palsy, autism etc.
Dr. Hala Elhoweris is a Professor of Special Education and Chair of Special Education Department at the United Arab Emirates University. She holds a doctorate degree in Educational Psychology with emphasis in Special Education from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK (U.S.A.). She earned her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Special Education from Oklahoma State University in 1998. Dr. Elhoweris research area of interest including multicultural education, inclusion, assessing and diagnosing students with special needs and gifted and talented.
Dr. Najwa Alhosani is an Associate Professor at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, UAE University. Currently, Dr. Alhosani is Acting Dean/Chair at College of Education, UAE University. Dr. Alhosani received her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees “with Honors” in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University, USA. Her research interests lay in the area of curriculum and instruction, early childhood, and language arts.
Dr. Negmeldin Alsheikh is an Associate Professor in the department of Curriculum and Instruction, UAE University. He previously taught Master and undergraduate students at State University of New York (SUNY), Plattsburgh. He is currently teaching Ph.D., Master and undergraduate students at UAE University as well as supervising Master and Ph.D. dissertations. His research area of interest includes literacy practices, metacognition and reading, learning strategies, language learning, second/Foreign language reading, language acquisition, and children literature.
Mr.Alaa Maali is an Accreditation executive at the College of Education, UAE University. Mr.Alaa have received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees “with Honors” in Engineering from UAE University. He works under the dean’s office and has a defined scope of work related to quality assurance and data analysis related to college’s students.
11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Wednesday 26th April, 2023