Pre-and In-service Physics Teachers' Perception Of Pre-service Physics Education

The study investigated four pre-service Physics teachers and six in-service physics teachers' perceptions of their pre-service education.In order to reach the desired goal this qualitative study used interview to collect data which was thematically analyzed,coming up with 3 major themes – content knowledge,pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.Six secondary school teachers from three different secondary technical schools in one region of Eritrea and four student teachers from Adikeih college of education were interviewed.The study sought to find out the perception of pre-and in service physics teachers regarding physics pre-service education.It investigated whether secondary physics school teachers found the knowledge and/or skill acquired from their pre-service courses were helpful to effective teaching and learning of physics.The findings show that the pre-service education that the pre and in-service physics teachers received was helpful: a)to the pre-service teachers learnt on how to manage the class room activity and the in-service teachers manage their classroom activity though they seem to use corporal punishment as a means of controlling the classroom,b)the pre-service teachers learnt on how to assess students' knowledge and the in-service teachers assess their students' knowledge which they acquire from the teaching and learning process,though they find it difficult to do the same with regards to the skills and attitudes of their learners,C)the pre-service teachers learnt on how to select and use relevant teaching methods,and the in-service teachers select and use relevant teaching methods,despite the fact that the sitting arrangement,large classroom size and physical situation of the classroom make it difficult to apply the acquired skills and knowledge properly,d)to prepare and make use of lesson plans,e)to prepare lesson content and f)to prepare and use teaching aids using materials that can be found easily at the school environment,even though they usually seem just to follow the textbook.The courses offered at pre-service training were quite useful both pedagogically and content matter.However the pedagogical courses were not typically physics-centered ones.The duration for both training and teaching practice was inadequate therefore the teachers were ill trained.Based on the findings,recommendations are given for change.