Challenges of Teachers on Teaching Practice: A Case Study of Students of Freetown Teachers’ College in Sierra Leone

Abstract

As the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology focuses on the agenda for free and quality education in all stages of teaching and learning in Sierra Leone, It is obvious that Teachers are at the center of all school activities. To ease the challenges of teachers in teaching, it is important to search for the problems of teachers on teaching practices. This study was conducted to find out some of the challenges that teachers on teaching practice experience in schools in Sierra Leone. The result will help to shed light on the aspect of the training exercise that needs to be improved to increase quality in schools. The study investigated the main challenges that teachers on teaching practice from Freetown Teachers College encounter in Social Studies and Business. Even though teaching practice teachers do their best to enrich students with their wealth of experiences, yet still, they got their obstacles that hinder their ability for effective teaching. The study employs qualitative procedures with a case study design where the main actor’s informant interview, observation focus group discussion and documentary review as the main methods of data collection. The respondents covered, 10 teaching practice teachers, 10 heads of schools, 9 college lecturers and 1 teaching practice coordinator of Freetown Teachers Polytechnic. The result revealed some problems in posting of student for teaching practice to various schools, payment of salaries to teaching practice teachers, school support, teaching methods, classroom environment, and language proficiency.