Student Teaching Field Experiences of Cooperating Teachers in the Selected Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Philippines: Psychological Insights for Innovating Teacher Education Programs

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the student teaching field experiences of cooperating teachers in public elementary and secondary schools in Samar Island, Philippines  using the descriptive-assessment method of research. This study delved on the cooperating teachers’ student teaching field experiences in the following, to wit: role as cooperating teacher, planning instruction, teaching, school-community relations, teaching profession, and evaluation of students’ performance. Factors associated to the implementation to the student teaching program in the public elementary and secondary schools had been sought. The findings revealed that five (5) aspects (role as cooperating teachers, planning instruction, teaching, teaching profession and evaluation of students’ performance) had been perceived with very relevant ratings; while school-community relations was only relevant. The cooperating teachers themselves, student teachers, school heads, and student teaching personnel were unanimous in their perceptions of the student teaching field experiences of the cooperating teachers. Findings of the revealed that there was no significant relationship between the student teaching field experiences of cooperating teachers in the public elementary and secondary schools and their profile except in age only.  When taken singly, however, age manifested highly significant relationship with planning instruction and evaluation of student performance, and significant relationship with number of attendance to relevant trainings and highest educational attainment.  This implied that the younger the cooperating teachers would be the more that they would be dynamic, creative and enthusiastic in their dealing with the student teachers. Several   factors had been rated as very highly associated by the four groups of respondents to be very highly associated to the implementation of student teaching program in the public elementary and secondary schools which were the following: giving the student teachers the chance to work under experienced teachers who act as mentors; an providing student teachers with authentic hand-on experience in teaching and developing the skills to understand differences of learners.  All these could enhance the knowledge and skills of the student teachers and improve the student teaching program in the public elementary and secondary schools.