Pre-Service Efl Teachers’ Reported Concerns and Stress for Practicum in Turkey

Abstract

Teacher training institutions need to identify the stress-generating aspects of the practicum so as to take necessary precautions to minimize their occurrence, intensity and influence, and consequently, make practice experiences as effective and beneficial as possible for pre-service teachers. The study examined the concerns that 133 Turkish pre-service EFL teachers experienced during practicum. A questionnaire consisting of 40 statements tapping concerns and stressful experiences was applied to the pre-service teachers. The potential stress areas were analyzed under six categories: personal, communication-centered, evaluation-based, external, lesson preparation and teaching related. The results indicate that nearly half of these stress areas are at the medium level, that personal concerns generate the highest level of stress, and that evaluation-based concerns lead to the lowest level of stress.