The State of Field Experience Management in Five-Year Science Teacher Education Program: A Case of Observation and Practice in School Course

Abstract

     This research explored the state of field experience management, and the pre-service science teachers' satisfaction and perception on field experience management, their own practice and teacher's characteristics that they gained from Field Experience: Observations and Practice in School Course in the five-year teacher education program. The subjects were 40 pre-service science teachers in a university situated in Bangkok. The research instruments included a questionnaire about pre-service science teachers' satisfactions on the field experience management, the analysis form of field experience documents, and interviews regarding the problems and recommendations in proceeding the field experience course. The data were analyzed using frequencies, means, standard deviations, and content analysis. The results indicated that the university laboratory school was established to provide professional experiences for pre-service teachers. The aims of this field experiences course were to provide pre-service science teachers opportunities with understanding and practicing about school administration, school management, academic affairs, community relations, student affairs, and guidance. Pre-service science teachers' satisfactions of planning and proceeding field experience course, and the perception on their practice quantity and their own teacher's characteristics were found at high level. However, pre-service science teachers faced problems regarding opportunity to practice in actual situation.