Teaching practice challenges faced by mechanical technology student teachers from a University of Technology in South Africa

In this empirical paper, we explore the challenges experienced by 4th year Mechanical Technology student teachers during teaching practice. Teacher training and development in South Africa is geared towards replenishing the aging and retiring teachers, replacing those lost through natural causes and keeping the teaching profession sustainable. Prospective teachers are inducted into the teaching profession through a programme of study at an institution of higher learning. Student teachers are exposed to Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) whereby they are deployed to schools to observe their mentors teaching for a specific period. Additionally, the student teachers have the chance to prepare lessons and instruct under the guidance of a mentor teacher. The purpose of this article was to identify the challenges that Mechanical Technology (MT) student teachers faced during WIL, also referred to as Teaching Practice (TP). The study included twenty (20) MT student teachers from a university of technology. The study used a qualitative case study design, and focus groups and questionnaires were used to survey participants. The qualitative data was analyzed and presented using Thematic Content Analysis. The findings demonstrated that a lack of teaching/learning media and resources, workshop overcrowding, practical skills content knowledge gaps, and workshop equipment were typical issues faced by the student instructors. We recommend the review of the nature of the Technology Teacher training programme from being a semester programme to a year programme, the training of Technology teachers to be in sync with industry and for the provision of adequate teaching/learning resources such as models, charts and access to electronic teaching/learning media.