The Meaning of Teaching Practicum on the Growth of Elementary School Teachers: Focusing on the Experience of a Cooperating Teacher

Abstract

Purpose: This study explored the meaning of Teaching Practicum experience on the growth of elementary school teachers. Methods: For this purpose, an autobiographical Narrative Inquiry was used to study the experience of a Cooperating Teacher. The Teaching Practicum experience of a elementary school teacher ‘J’ using documents, memories, and interviews was drawn upon, and the meaning of J’s experiences were discussed. Results: As a result, J's narrative revealed the following meaning. Teaching Practicum is a process for pre-service teachers to understand the importance of relational context in the class. At the same time, it was revealed that a Cooperating Teacher recognizes the class is herself, so she has to accurately coordinate well complex relationships inside and outside the class, as the self-contained classroom teacher. This is the process of the professional development of elementary school teachers. Conclusion: Therefore, teacher training colleges should operate the Teaching Practicum in accordance with the original purpose by focusing on learning the role of a self-contained classroom teacher, and a Cooperating Teacher should also help ‘student teachers’ acquire the role of a self-contained classroom teacher properly.