An investigation into Saudi Arabian final-year student teachers’ preparedness to teach English as a foreign language.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
This study aimed to investigate final-year English major Saudi student teachers’ perceptions of
preparedness as well as their actual preparedness to teach English as a Foreign Language after
their graduation. Previous work did not address student teachers’ perceptions of preparedness to
teach after graduation. An interpretive qualitatively dominant approach was used to explore the
student teachers’ preparedness to teach English. A case study design was employed using four data
generating strategies: a predominantly qualitative questionnaire; the Cambridge Teaching
Knowledge Test (TKT); focus group discussions; and interviews with four teacher participants.
The questionnaire and the group discussions revealed that most year-four student teachers
perceived themselves as being prepared to begin teaching after graduation. Also, most student
teachers ascribed their preparedness to start teaching to their teachers who helped them form their
positive perceptions of preparedness to teach. Other student teachers attributed their perceptions
of preparedness to teach English to the courses they studied during the four-year programme. In
addition, most year-four student teachers were found to be unprepared linguistically (as per what
they wrote in the questionnaire and what they said in the group discussions) to start teaching
English. Student teachers’ teaching ability was assessed via the TKT which proved that most of
the student teachers fall into Band 2 (as per the established Band Descriptors) which means that
their teaching knowledge is satisfactory. Besides, student teachers were found to be unprepared
pedagogically because most of what they studied in their English language programme only related
to the English language, its literature, and Arabic and English translation courses, not to teaching
methods courses.
The interviews revealed that student teachers were not fully prepared to teach English as a Foreign
Language. Although some of the student teachers were perceived to be prepared linguistically,
most of them were perceived to be unprepared pedagogically to begin teaching. Most of the interviewees stated that the English language programme had not adequately prepared student
teachers to start teaching because its focus was on language and translation, not on teaching.
Almost all interviewees suggested a training programme through which student teachers can be
trained on how to teach and practice teaching. The interviewees' suggestions for student teachers
ranged from doing a certificate or a diploma like Cambridge CELTA and DELTA or their
equivalents and volunteering for a semester or two to observe and shadow other experienced
teachers in their classes.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.