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The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics
[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 24, No. 0, pp.1372-1390
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Print publication date 31 Jan 2024
Received 10 Dec 2024 Revised 18 Dec 2024 Accepted 26 Dec 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.24..202412.1372

Preparing Future Elementary English Educators: Insights from Pre-Service Teachers on Microteaching and Practicum

Seon-Ho Park
Professor, Department of English Education Gyeongin National University of Education 155 Sammak-ro, Manan-gu, Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, Korea shpark@ginue.ac.kr


© 2024 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Pre-service teachers majoring in English education are often regarded as well-suited candidates for teaching English in elementary schools. This study explores how these pre-service teachers at a university of education are being prepared, with an emphasis on their perspectives regarding the development of English teaching competence. Written interviews were conducted with four pre-service teachers to explore their experiences with microteaching in the university curriculum, participation in and observation of English lessons during teaching practicums, and reflections on English teaching issues in the elementary teacher selection examination. The data, analyzed using Spradley’s (1980) qualitative analysis method, were categorized into three main themes and sub-themes. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers majoring in English education experience some anxiety regarding their English proficiency but demonstrate moderate confidence in conducting English lessons in elementary schools. Participants expressed generally positive perceptions of their microteaching experiences within university courses and felt slightly better prepared to teach English than their non-English majoring peers. However, they reported limited practical teaching opportunities during teaching practicums, which span 2 to 4 weeks annually over three years, with almost no chances to observe or practice English lessons directly with students. These findings underscore a significant gap in practical teaching experience, even among pre-service teachers specializing in English education. The study calls for universities of education and practicum schools to address this issue by providing more extensive opportunities for microteaching and direct classroom practice, ensuring better preparation for future elementary English educators.

Keywords:

elementary English education, elementary teacher selection examination, microteaching, teaching practicum, pre-service teachers

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