School Practice (SP) is a major component of professional training of teachers undertaken by all students taking Education Courses at teacher training institutions in Kenya. SP is a practical evaluation of the competencies a student teacher is required to master before being declared a qualified teacher. However, many student teachers have displayed incompetence after such training sessions. This paper explores the competencies acquired by student teachers in Kakamega-Mumias Zone, Kenya during SP. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedules and observation guides. Findings from the study indicate that 85% of the student teachers emerge professionals while about 15% lack the necessary competencies of a trained teacher. Teacher training institutions offering this exercise should strive to ensure all student teachers acquire the expected competencies for effective curriculum implementation in schools.
Ayot, H. O & Wanga, P. E. (1987). Teaching Practice. Nairobi: Kenyatta University.
Fakhra , A. (2012). Impact of Faculty Professional Development Program of HEC on Teachers Competencies and Motivation at Higher Levels in Journal of Arts, Science and Commerce
Retrieved at eprints.hec.gov.pk/8296/
Ministry of Education (2013). Quality Education for Development. Nairobi: Republic of Kenya
Mutsotso, S. N. (2015). School Attachment: A Case of MMUST in Dynamism in Curriculum and Instruction. Otunga R. N. (Ed). Eldoret: Utafiti Foundation.
Zeichner, K. (2006). Studying Teacher Education Programs: Enriching and Enlarging the Inquiry in C, F Conrad & R, C. Serlin (Eds). In The SAGE Handbook for Research in Education.
Retrieved at www.rebeccawestburns.com/index.php
Kivihya, D. C. (2016). Competencies acquired by Student Teachers during School Practice: A Case of Kibabii University. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(11), 475-481.
Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode