Community Perspectives on the Benefits of Students Teaching Practice in Tertiary Institutions in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined students teaching practice in tertiary institutions in southern Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to find out the perceptions of student teachers, mentors of cooperating schools, and community members regarding the benefits of students teaching practice. The study provided answers to three research questions. The sample of the study comprised student teachers, who were randomly selected from two levels of study, school heads and teachers of cooperating schools (mentors) and community members drawn through stratified random sampling technique. The sample was selected from three universities and two colleges of education in south-west geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The survey research adopted ex-post-facto design. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed through descriptive statistics tools. The findings indicates that student teachers, mentors of cooperating schools and community members perceived teaching practice as beneficial to them in numerous ways. The study recommends that teaching practice should be given more encouragement in view of its numerous benefits.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2016.v6n3p159