Problems in Professional Experience Training of Student Teachers in Science Education, Faculty of Education, Kasetsart University

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to investigate the problems in professional experience training of student teachers in science education, Faculty of Education, Kasetsart University in B.E. 2544 academic year in the following areas: teaching preparation, instructional media, teaching, student teachers, cooperating teachers, university supervisors, students, schools and professional experience training preparation program and to study the student teachers' opinions about the roles and the responsibilities of the university supervisors and cooperating teachers. The population consisted of 43 science education student teachers having professional experience training in B.E. 2544 academic year. The research tools were questionnaires consisting of checklists, completion, rating-scale and open-ended questions. Percentages, arithmetic means, standard deviation and content analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that science education student teachers had problems at middle level with teaching and with students, and at lower level in the other areas. The student teachers thought that university supervisors and cooperating teachers should supervise their teaching; follow up on and evaluate student teachers' progress, facilitate student teachers' improvement while they were observing student teaching. They should also provide consultancy on both academic and personal problems, and impart on them desirable characters of good teachers.