Thai EFL Trainee Teachers’ Perceptions on Teacher Training

ทัศนคติต่อการฝึกสอนของครูฝึกสอนชาวไทยที่เรียนภาษาอังกฤษเป็นภาษาต่างประเทศ

Abstract

          Teacher training is a compulsory requirement in teacher education, in which trainee teachers are obliged to perform teaching in actual schools. The current study aims to investigate the Thai EFL trainee teachers’ perceptions of teacher training as well as any problems that may have occurred. A mixed-methods approach and purposive sampling were used to collect quantitative data from participants who had completed at least one semester of teacher training. The questionnaire was completed by 70 people out of a total of 104, accounting for 72.8 percent of the total. In addition, qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 16 individuals, accounting for 15.4% of the total. The results showed that participants expressed both positive and negative perceptions of teacher training. The participants highly perceived positive attitudes in two main areas: the aspect of their relationships with others (87.45%) and the aspect of the school and program (85.10%), such as their relationship with mentor teachers, mentor teachers’ administration, and school supervision. It is highly perceived due to interpersonal skills and adaptability being nurtured before teacher training took place. It is also found that participants show low perception towards two main aspects: the aspect of trainee teachers themselves (76.31%) and the aspect of their teaching performance (72.20%), such as their readiness, confidence, and teaching matters. It is poorly perceived due to the inadequate English language proficiency, insufficient knowledge of English subjects and exposure provided in the curriculum, the unreadiness of the overloading tasks of teachers, and the unexpected pandemic affecting teacher training entirely.