The Student Teachers Perceptions On Teaching Practice Supervision In Zimbabwe Is It A Process Of Grading Or Improvement Of Teaching Skills

Supervisors are expected to observe how student teachers prepare deliver the lesson and conduct themselves as members of teaching profession and are expected to advise the students on how to improve their teaching skills. The present study is a descriptive survey which sought to analyze student teachers perception towards teaching practice as an exercise for grading or improvement and examine student teachers perception towards student-supervisor comments during discussion after classroom assessment. The sample comprised of 50 second year Diploma in Education who had undergone teaching practice in 2016. The students were purposefully sampled. In purposeful sampling the researcher selects the participants because they possess particular characteristics or knowledge being sought. A questionnaire was used to collect data for this study. The findings indicated that majority of student teachers who participated in the teaching practice perceived that the supervisors gave grades which did not reflect the comments made about the teaching performance of the student teacher. Based on the findings recommendations were made among others that assessment should match the comments on areas needing improvement and meaningful accompanying comments should be made to guide student teachers in the desired directions during teaching practice encourage student teachers to try harder or to give credit for work done well.