LANGUAGE IN INDIA

An Appraisal of the Practicum -
Finding the Gaps between Theory and Practice in
Teacher Training Institutions in Pakistan

Aijaz Ahmed Gujjar, M.A., Ph.D. Scholar
Hafiz Muhammad Arshad, M.Sc., Ph.D. Scholar
Muhammad Ramzan, Ph.D.

Abstract

A successful teacher training programme aims at harmonising the theoretical and the practical facets of training so that what is willed is materialised in order to gain the desired objectives. The present study was undertaken with a view to observe the gaps, if any, between the theory and practice pre-service teacher training being imparted in Pakistani teacher training institutions. The sample for the study consisted of 120 student teachers of twelve different teacher training institutions of Pakistan.

The students had completed the theoretical part of the training and were now engaged in practice teaching. The sample was divided into male-female. It represented all the four provinces of Pakistan. Observation was used as a technique to collect data. The researcher visited all the classes personally to achieve the said end during. Data was collected through 35 sets of observation. The observation checklist was prepared keeping in mind the objectives of teacher training in general and of practice teaching in particular, as espoused in the curriculum.

It was found that there was a great gap between theory and practice in terms of novel methods and techniques, the use of computer applications for teaching, experimentation, finding relations of the topic with the real life situations and the use of diagnosis evaluation techniques. However, the trainees made use of the evaluation techniques and invited questions in order to engage the students. It is concluded that novelty and innovation are completely missing and the trainees feel satisfied with the same hackneyed techniques and methods through which they were taught. It is recommended that the teacher trainers routinely visit the classes during the practice teaching. Increasing the duration of the practice teaching will also do a world of good to the success of the programme.

Introduction

The importance of practicum in any course of studies is a given thing and teacher education is no exception in this regard (McIntyre, Byrd, & Fox, 1996). The world of practicum comes to us as an amalgamation of thought and action. Whereas the theory is a systematic way of thinking into a subject, practice involves the putting into practice of something. A theory might ignite the practice but it might never see the light of the day. Blunden (2000) puts it in these words.

"Theory involves the development of understanding and insight and it is what universities often do well. Of course, both of these worlds, practice and theory, are communities of practice, but they are nonetheless very different worlds" (p.8).

However, it is a universally acknowledged fact that a theory dies without practice and the aim of a programme should always be to harmonise theory and practice. The ideal may never be fully realised. However, such an exercise cannot be termed futile because it enables the practitioner as well as the researcher in filling the gaps between theory and practice. An insight into the nature of theory, being followed, and an appraisal of the practice help us in finding these gaps. The present study is an attempt in the same direction.

Theory of the Practicum

Ideally, the practicum should involve a combination of a range of different factors that might include, but would not be limited to, the performance of the student teachers, the teacher educators, the school and the availability of resources. However, it is more important to have a relationship of all these factors (Ellsworth and Albers, 1995).

The theory of the practice teaching dictates the following:

• The duration of the practicum is appropriate i.e. it is neither too long nor too short.
• There is an opportunity for the student teachers to exhibit their potential at the optimum level
• There is an availability of resources
• The environment is realistic to an extent that it duplicates the teaching learning situation so the student teachers anticipate the teaching profession.
• An effective system of monitoring and evaluation is put in place.
• During the final assessment, the weight given to the practicum should be proportionate to the theoretical exams.

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