Simulated teaching: Towards a policy framework for pre-service teacher preparation

 

Janet Presnilla-Espada

 

Review Article | Published December 2014

Journal of Educational Research and Reviews, Vol. 2(7), pp. 108-120

 

 

Leyte Normal University, Tacloban City, Philippines.

 

*Corresponding author. Email: janetpresnilla2007@yahoo.com.

 

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A major focus in education programs is the practicum where the pre-service teacher is placed within a school setting shadowing an experienced teacher. The limited time spent for practicum hinders student teachers from acquiring quality training. After graduation, many of them face their students quite unprepared, inexperienced and lacking in confidence. This paper aims to propose a policy framework designed to help education students experience practicum as early as their second year while completing their academic requirements. This can be done through simulated teaching, a pedagogy in the form of a role play which allows students to simulate teaching in a college setting. Anchored on the model-centered instruction, transfer of learning and embodied cognition theories, this method has undergone a four-year intensive study confirming a creative way to develop communication and heuristic skills in teaching. In an earlier exploratory study, majority of the 352 participants showed a highly positive attitude towards simulated teaching and strongly believed they should be exposed to teaching prior to practicum. They agreed that the earlier they undergo practicum, the earlier their weaknesses could be addressed and their skills enhanced. Another experimental study indicated that students who had prolonged exposure to simulated teaching obtained a higher academic performance (p-value=.000) compared to those who went back to the traditional lecture/reporting method. Moreover, the first batch of graduates who underwent simulated teaching prior to practicum unanimously reported that they overcame their fears and gained confidence in facing their students. Currently, the fourth year students who started simulated teaching in their second year have testified that the pedagogy has transformed and made them confident persons. These findings strongly point to the adoption of a policy utilizing simulated teaching as a viable alternative in teacher training which can directly address the challenge of producing quality teachers. The paper outlines the scope and purpose of the policy; its principles, context and evaluation schemes. With the implementation of this policy, students will experience practice teaching in a consistent, wider framework resulting in a more solid preparation for the actual pre-service training.