Page 115 - Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

99 Apuntes de Investigación en la Enseñanza de Idiomas

Student-teachers Dealing with Reality during their Social

Service and Practicum through Support

Lizette Drusila Flores Delgado

Irlanda Olave Moreno
Ana Cecilia Villarreal Ballesteros

Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua

Keywords: collaboration, identity, practicum, social service.

The process of becoming a teacher can be a challenge for student-teachers. Flores and Day (2006)
argue that student-teachers often face a difficult transition from being students to becoming tea-
chers, as learners’ idealistic expectations are challenged once that they enter into a real classroom
environment. The participants of this study, during the course of their major, learn theory, methods,
techniques and strategies about second language acquisition to teach language learners. In addi-
tion, they practice in simulated classrooms with their own classmates through microteachings. These
sessions provide future teachers the opportunity to practice different teaching methods and receive
constructive feedback in a supportive, low-risk environment. Nevertheless, these practices someti-
mes are not effective due to the fact that peers, who pretend to be students, are English proficient.
Consequently, the teaching-learning process tends to be fast and effective. Because of this, once
that learners teach a real class, they usually face a non-supportive, high risk environment where they
need to take full responsibility of their classroom and students’ learning. Research shows that when
future teachers do not feel supported by colleagues or employers this shock increases and could
result in teacher attrition (Flores and Day, 2006). Hence, support and collaboration seem to have an
impact in the beginning stages of the process of becoming a teacher, which is why the element of
mentoring during the social service and practicum stages of teaching training programs becomes
relevant.

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to see the ways in which collaboration can help reduce
the tension and anxiety that student-teachers face during the social service and practicum course
of student teachers of a Northern Mexican University. This study attempts to answer the following
questions:

• How does collaboration and support affect the way student-tea-
chers deal with their expectations and reality when teaching a
real class?

• How do learner and teacher identity affect the way student-tea-
chers deal with their expectations and reality when teaching a
real class?