Importance of Training in Teachers’ Preparation
Achievement of educational aims and objectives cannot be met unless teachers have necessary training where they are adequately equipped with teaching skills and competences. Rao (2007) argued that it is when there are caliber of professional teachers who have good educational background and relevant teaching skills and attitude that educational aims and objectives can be realized. This is due to the fact that it is only the competent, professionally skilled, vibrant and well-coordinated teachers can meet the challenges of educational crises in Nigerian educational sector. For teacher education to produce such teachers the teacher trainees need to be well baked through exposure to enough teaching skills theoretically and practically.
The process of acquiring specific skills to perform a job better is referred to as training. The qualification that makes someone proficient in doing a job is called training. Training involves teaching, informing, and educating people to make them qualify to do their jobs. When such jobs demand greater difficulty and responsibility, the training they have in such jobs provide them with the skills, knowledge and abilities to face the challenges.
Two types of training are identified by Abifarin (2004) and Ajibade (2009). They are: pre-service and in-service training. The in-service training concerns the staff development for improvement in their performances. The in-service training promotes professional growth of workers. The student teachers are already at work but they are strengthened by the in-service training. It may be in form of orientation training, foundation training, on job training, refresher course, maintenance training and career development training Pre-service training on the other hand is formal and academic in nature. Pre-service training is offered in institutions using certain courses, curricula and syllabuses for a stipulated duration. The student teachers are taken through the process of training that prepares them to enter a certain kind of professional job. Examples of such professionals are teaching, engineering, nursing, medicine and agriculture. Student teachers are not supposed to get professional job unless they are certified and registered.
Training is cyclic in nature. Training starts with needs identification through a number of phases, stages and steps. Training ends with evaluation. Any deficiency in any of the steps of the training process affects the whole system. As a result, student teachers should be taken through all steps systematically in order to have accomplished training. This study investigates training and practice in education.
Concept of Teaching Practice
A number of terms such as practice teaching, student teaching, teaching practice, field studies, infield experience, school based experience or internship are used to refer to this activity (Taneja, 2000). The term teaching practice embraces all the learning experiences of student teachers in schools (Ashraf, 1999). Teaching practice has three major connotations: the practicing of teaching skills and acquisition of the role of a teacher; the whole range of experiences that students go through in schools and the practical aspects of the course as distinct from theoretical studies. Teaching Practice is a term used for the preparation of student teachers for teaching by practical training. It is the practical use of teaching methods, teaching strategies, teaching principles, teaching techniques and practical training and practice/exercise of different activities of daily school life.
Teaching Practice gives the student-teacher the chance and opportunity to develop his skills in all the areas of the work of a teacher. Therefore the development of communication skills, time management, questioning skills, improvisation and utilization of instructional materials, classroom performance and administrative capabilities are also developed during Teaching Practice. Teaching is said to be effective when it produces intended happy union between teacher behaviour and achievement gains of students. In order for a teacher to facilitate pupils‟ learning, he/she uses various instructional methods for learning to take place (Umar, 2010). In agreement with this assertion, Odetunde (2005) also said that, teachers are key men in the entire educational programmes. They are recognized as the essential components in the education structure and in our national development efforts. Therefore, school and classroom performance aimed at encouraging and establishing student self-control through a process of promoting positive student achievement and behaviour. Thus, academic achievement, teacher efficacy, teacher and student behaviour are directly linked with the concept of school and classroom performance.
