出版社：Australian Institutes for Educational Research
摘要：This paper examines the significance and contribution of teaching practice (TP) to thedevelopment of pre-service teachers’ knowledge of teaching mathematics in Zimbabwe.Education researchers, across the globe, concur that teaching practice is an importantcomponent of “learning to teach”. However, underachievement in mathematics theworld over has been consistently high, and regardless of the long TP period inZimbabwe, the failure rate in mathematics in Zimbabwe has always been dismal. Thisfailure rate, according to research, can be linked to teacher quality. The role of TP indeveloping the required expertise of pre-service teachers to improve mathematicsteaching therefore, remains to be established. A mixed methods approach was employed,based on an explanatory sequential design, to explore the nature and impact of teachingpractice on knowledge for teaching mathematics. This study found that manymathematics teachers are a product of their experiences during teaching practice.Teaching practice may be fully effective when it is coupled with proper and adequateguidance from college and school-based mentors. Adequate monitoring of teachingpractice with reference to mathematics content and pedagogy develops teachingexpertise. The study recommends proper debriefing and assessment of competence afterteaching practice, so that pre-service teachers who do not meet the performancerequirements can be re-trained before graduation.
