Experiences of pre-service English teachers gained through community service learning in kindergartens

Year 2014, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 65 - 78, 01.06.2014

Gülşah Külekçi

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.14.04.1.1

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Many
authors agree that community service learning should be integrated into
pre-service teacher education in order to achieve the maximum positive impact
on the next generation of teachers. This study aims at inquiring the
experiences of pre-service English teachers gained through community service
learning. The study is based on qualitative case study design. Qualitative data
were collected using participant portfolios from 40 pre-service English teachers
in ELT Department who kept portfolios throughout their observations of eleven
weeks. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method by
coding and creating categories/themes. Results showed that pre-service teachers
faced some problems during the process of community service. However, their
practices through community service learning in kindergartens helped them gain
various experiences which will contribute a lot to their future teaching
careers. The evaluative feedback stressed marked improvement in the quality of
the student learning and engagement experiences. It is hoped that the
experiences of pre-service English teachers engaged in the portfolio
development process will help other educators who are implementing portfolios
within teacher education programs. The results of this study also provide
important information for both policy-makers interested in the reform of
pre-service teacher education and practicing teacher educators focused on
achieving the goals of pre-service teacher education through the use of
community service learning.

Keywords

Pre-service English teachers, community service learning, kindergartens

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