Pre-Service Teachers' Retrospective and Prospective Evaluations: Program, Self, and Teaching Profession

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate teacher candidates' retrospective and prospective evaluations about the classroom teacher education program, self, and the teaching profession. Observations, interviews, focus group interviews, and surveys were used to collect data from the 240 subjects. Teacher candidates believed that the teaching profession is the best fit to their characters and the profession is the best job for females. The data analysis showed that 95% of the teacher candidates indicated at least two or more program related issues, and only 5% of them found the quality of the program satisfactory. The results also revealed that pre-service teachers experience burnout problem, and 90% of the male subjects do not have a plan to stay in the teaching profession. It is recommended that the classroom teacher education department should offer teacher candidates more student-centered and constructivist teaching with adequate field experiences

Keywords

• Retrospective
• prospective
• evaluation
• teaching profession
• pre-service teachers