This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of the teaching internship component attached to the Higher National Diploma in English (HNDEn) program conducted by Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE). It fundamentally investigates whether the teaching internship has formed an effective impact on the lives of HNDEn students in becoming successful beginning teachers and further, how it has contributed to the overall design of the HNDEn program to achieve the goal of producing successful teachers. The study adopts qualitative research design in collecting and analyzing the data which are gathered from HNDEn teacher interns training at the schools of the government sector in Sri Lanka. Findings are analysed through thematic analysis. Multiple themes pertaining to the impact of HNDEn curriculum and feedback on the teaching practice, academic-related opportunities faced by the interns and the areas of further improvement currently needed emerge from the analysis, suggesting that the interns are exposed to a variety of experiences during the internship which function both constructively and disparagingly in molding their role as teachers. The results of the study carry a pedagogical value as they are representative of what a teacher intern undergoes during the beginning phase of the teaching career, which leads to the understanding and designing of an effective teaching internship.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
a. Background and justification
b. Problem statement
c. Research objectives
2. Review of Literature
3. Methodology
3.1 Place and time period
3.2 Materials
3.3 Experimental methods (experiment 1, 2 etc.)
3.4 Participants and Sampling techniques
3.5 Research design
3.6 Methods of data collection
4. Description of data analysis
5. Results & Discussion
5.1 Impact of HNDEn coursework on the performance during training
5.2 Impact of work environment and feedback on the performance during training
5.3 Academic-related opportunities
6. Conclusions, Recommendations & Limitations
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the teaching internship program within the Higher National Diploma in English (HNDEn) in Sri Lanka. It aims to identify the challenges faced by student interns, evaluate how the current program contributes to the development of proficient teachers, and propose actionable measures to bridge the gap between theoretical training and professional practice.
- Analysis of the HNDEn internship effectiveness in producing successful teachers.
- Examination of the friction between academic expectations and administrative school realities.
- Evaluation of feedback mechanisms provided by mentors, principals, and the school environment.
- Investigation into professional development opportunities and skill gaps for interns.
- Development of strategies to enhance the operational quality of the HNDEn teaching practicum.
Excerpt from the Book
Background and justification
Internship program is a common component in the tertiary educational field at present. Teaching internship programs are conducted in the teacher education field usually at the undergraduate level throughout the world. In Sri Lanka, there are many educational institutions where the internship is offered as a course component of certain higher educational courses. Higher National Diploma in English (HNDEn) conducted by Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE) under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education is a course which consists of two years of course work and a six-month teaching internship. The objective of the HNDEn program is to produce knowledgeable, skilled and professionally competent diplomats for the industry. Especially the internship is designed to prepare the teacher trainees for the upcoming career as teaching professionals introducing them to potential future work environments in schools.
But, the teacher intern’s expectation to acquire knowledge and teaching experience is contravened with the expectation of the trainer who is determined to fulfil administrative requirements. Teacher intern is torn between the two extremes of expectations. (Chennat, 2014). This ultimately causes lack of interest in the duty and as a consequence, limited motif in acquiring knowledge. In the practical setting, the teacher intern realizes the whole component of teaching practicum to be packed up with endless works and targets. Obligatory participation in extra-curricular activities and the huge work load to be accomplished within a short span of time including conducting after school classes, marking assignments, catching up with the weak pupils and getting them ready for the tests exasperate the teacher intern with the time pressure.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the context of the HNDEn program, highlighting the disconnect between internship expectations and the realities of the school environment, while setting the research objectives.
2. Review of Literature: This section covers global research on teacher professional development and internship models, noting the specific lack of evidence regarding language teacher trainees in the Sri Lankan context.
3. Methodology: The section details the qualitative research design, focusing on in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of twenty HNDEn teacher interns across Sri Lankan government schools.
4. Description of data analysis: This chapter explains the thematic analysis process used to categorize data regarding the HNDEn coursework, feedback, and professional opportunities.
5. Results & Discussion: The chapter presents findings on how theoretical coursework impacts performance, the role of school-based feedback, and the identified gaps in academic-related opportunities for interns.
6. Conclusions, Recommendations & Limitations: The final chapter summarizes the research, offers recommendations for a monitoring system, and acknowledges limitations regarding the study's generalizability and subjective interpretation.
Keywords
Teaching Internship, HNDEn, SLIATE, Teacher Professional Development, Pedagogical Value, Qualitative Research, Thematic Analysis, Classroom Management, Student Teachers, Educational Reforms, Teaching Practice, Internship Effectiveness, Language Teacher Trainees, Educational Psychology, Performance Assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research study?
The study investigates the effectiveness of the six-month teaching internship component of the HNDEn program to determine how well it prepares students to become successful, professional teachers.
Which specific areas of the internship are analyzed?
The study focuses on the impact of the HNDEn coursework, the nature of feedback provided by school stakeholders, and the availability of academic development opportunities during the internship.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to identify challenges faced by interns, evaluate the current quality of the internship, and propose improvements to ensure the program effectively produces proficient teaching professionals.
Which research methodology does the author employ?
The study adopts a qualitative research design, utilizing in-depth interviews with twenty teacher interns to gain insights into their experiences within natural school settings.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main part of the work provides a literature review, details the methodology, explains the thematic analysis of qualitative data, and discusses the findings related to interns' performance and challenges.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Teaching Internship, HNDEn, Teacher Professional Development, Pedagogical Value, Qualitative Research, and Classroom Management.
How does the work address the tension between interns and trainers?
The study highlights how "administrative requirements" often clash with "teaching experience" expectations, leading to a "misfit" feeling among interns, and suggests better evaluation and feedback mechanisms to alleviate this.
What are the identified recommendations for the program?
The author recommends the establishment of a formal monitoring system for interns, potentially by hiring external officials to observe and guide trainees during their placement.
What are the primary limitations mentioned by the author?
Limitations include the small, convenience-based sample size in Kurunegala, which limits generalizability, and the potential for researcher bias in the qualitative interpretation of subjective data.
- Quote paper
- Sujani Balasooriya (Author), 2023, The Transition from Student to Teacher. An Analytical Study on the HNDEn Teaching Internship, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1371696
