Experiences of Pre-Service Teachers on Teaching Practice at a Rural Boarding School in Zimbabwe

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

Teaching practice (TP) plays a critical role in developing pre-service teachers’ professional skills, teaching competence, and realistic understanding of classroom work. This basic interpretive qualitative study interviewed five pre-service teachers from a Zimbabwe boarding school drawn from three training colleges and universities. Findings show supportive relationships, favorable living conditions, and the need to improve coordination between receiving schools and sending colleges. The study also highlights curriculum discord and recommends alignment with the new curriculum and clearer communication channels.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Negative Pre-service Teachers Experiences

Experiences of Pre-Service Teachers on Teaching Practice at a Rural Boarding School in Zimbabwe Loreen Musemburi Psychology Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Women’s University in Africa, Zimbabwe, [lmusemburi@wua.ac.zw](lmusemburi@wua.ac.zw) Clifford Gomba Dr., Chairperson of The Education Department in the Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Humanities at The Catholic University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, [clifford.gomba@cuz.ac.zw](clifford.gomba@cuz.ac.zw) Teaching practice (TP) is an important part of teacher training. It is during teaching practice (TP) that student teachers acquire practical skills in the profession and it becomes prudent to explore the experiences of pre-service teachers in TP. Participants (n = 5) were drawn from one boarding school and came from three (3) teacher-training colleges and universities in Zimbabwe. Data was collected through interviews which were audio-taped and transcribed. The results from this basic interpretive qualitative study showed varied pre-service teachers' experiences. The findings were that pre-service teachers experienced supportive positive relationships at the school as well as had good living conditions. They also highlighted things that they thought needed improvement by both the receiving school and the sending college as well as some qualified teachers. In addition, the pre-service teachers expressed that there must exist a clear communication channel between the receiving schools and the sending colleges. The study recommended that teacher training colleges must be familiar with the new curriculum as the study found that there was a discord between what the pre-service teachers were taught at the school and what was on the ground. Keywords: teacher training, teaching practice, supportive positive relationship, discipline, accommodation INTRODUCTION Teaching practice (TP) plays an important role in preparing future teachers (Musingafi & Mafumbate, 2014) as the process gives pre-service teachers opportunities to get professional knowledge, teaching skills, and teaching competence (Pramesti, 2021) . According to Kombo and Kira (2013), teaching practice (TP) refers to all the learning experiences of pre-service teachers in schools. It is also the period when pre-service teachers evaluate their teaching experiences through interactions with qualified teachers and lecturers. Pre-service teachers also do self-reflection, and implement a variety of teaching strategies, and skills to bring about meaningful learning (Kombo & Kira, 2013) . During teaching practice, pre-service teachers observe qualified teachers at work to learn about teaching skills, strategies, and classroom achievements (Marais & Meier, 2004) . TP has been an integral component of teacher training since time immemorial. Several authors (Marais & Meier, 2004; Ngidi & Sibaya, 2003; Perry, 2004) argue that TP gives pre-service teachers experience in the actual teaching and learning environment TP thus serves as an introduction to the realities of the situation in the teaching profession (Musingafi & Mafumbate, 2014) . As such, teaching practice creates a mixture of anticipation, anxiety, excitement, and apprehension in pre-service teachers as they commence their teaching practice (Manion, Keith, Morrison & Cohen, 2003; Perry, 2004) . The term teaching practice Citation: Musemburi, L., & Gomba, C. (2025) . Experiences of pre-service teachers on teaching practice at a rural boarding school in Zimbabwe. Anatolian Journal of Education, 10(2), 129-142. [https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2025.10210a](https://doi.org/10.29333/aje.2025.10210a) has three major connotations: the practicing of teaching skills and acquisition of the role of a teacher; the whole range of experiences that students go through in schools; and the practical aspects of the course as distinct from theoretical studies (Musingafi & Mafumbate, 2014) . In essence, this study focuses on the second connotation of experiences

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study on teaching practice?

The study explored pre-service teachers’ experiences during teaching practice, focusing on what they encountered in the school placement context.

How was the data collected and who participated?

Interviews were used; they were audio-taped and transcribed. Five participants were drawn from one boarding school and came from three teacher-training colleges and universities in Zimbabwe.

What positive experiences did pre-service teachers report?

They reported supportive positive relationships at the school and good living conditions during the placement period.

What recommendations were made based on the findings?

Teacher training colleges should become familiar with the new curriculum, and a clear communication channel should exist between receiving schools and sending colleges to address observed improvements needed on both sides.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel