Preservice accounting teachers’ anxiety about teaching practicum

Abstract

The study examined the anxiety experienced by preservice accounting teachers about their teaching practicum. The study drew on descriptive survey with a population of 245 final year preservice accounting teachers in the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Out of this population, a sample of 100 was drawn at random to respond to the Student Teacher Anxiety Scale (STAS) developed by Hart (1987) and modified by Morton, Vesco, Williams and Awender (1997). The fieldwork which lasted 4 weeks was undertaken in the schools where the preservice teachers were posted for the practicum. Data collected was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicated that preservice accounting teachers were anxious about the teaching practicum, with their anxiety spanning their professional preparation, relationship with regular school staff, class control, unsuccessful lesson delivery and evaluation of their conduct. Further evidence suggested that age had no association with and prior teaching experience had no influence on preservice teachers’ anxiety of the practicum. However, school-based mentorship was found to have influenced preservice accounting teachers’ anxiety about unsuccessful lesson delivery and evaluation of their conduct.