A phenomenological study of pre-service teachers’ lived experiences of professional development in Ghana

Abstract

The lived experiences of pre-service teachers during teaching practice are often neglected in scholarly literature or if considered, not much emphasis is placed on other socio-cultural contexts that affect these practices. To address this knowledge gap in literature, a phenomenological qualitative study into the lived experiences of pre-service teachers was explored. The sources of data comprised semi-structured interview and focus group discussions. Final-year pre-service teachers who had returned to the university after completing their pre-service field expedition were used for the study. A purposive sample was used in selecting 115 participants from the readily available population of pre-service teachers, of which 25 of the participants were interviewed and 80 participated in a focused group discussion. The data was analysed using open coding and axial coding. It emanated from the study that there were differing propositions for formulating purposeful lesson objectives, selecting appropriate content, deciding on the best method of presentation, and writing actual lesson plans. Also, it was revealed that while some mentors contribute to the professional development of their mentees, most mentors abandon pre-service teachers in the course of their mentorship programme. It is recommended that during teaching practice, regular conferences and workshops should be held to address some possible hurdles that the mentors and their mentees might be going through to enhance their professional relationship.