Chinese Pre-service Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Practicum Under Contrasting Contexts

Implications for Rural Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Globally, much of the criticism has been directed at the quality of university-based teacher education in preparing teachers for impoverished schools. Drawing on data from an incentive program of teacher education in China, the authors comparatively investigated the field experiences of pre-service teachers from contrasting setting (urban and rural schools). Under the perspective of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, the study focused on participants' perception of teaching practicum and how well the program had prepared them for rural schools. The particular attention has been paid to whether the less-successful teaching practicum, such as lack of knowledge and skills of instructing diverse students, influenced pre-service teachers' commitment to teach in rural schools. We found pre-service teachers who taught in urban schools reported more positive field experiences and higher teaching commitment than those in rural places. The rural per-service teachers have reported more difficulties in linking their college courses with actual practice and settings. The policy implications for rural teacher preparation have been discussed as well.