Pre-Service Teacher: Definition and Program Example

Definition of Pre Service Teacher

Before entering into a pre-service education program, most students will have obtained a previous academic degree, either a general or honours, in a subject of their choice, (e.g. English, math, science, religion). The alternative to this is that students may work simultaneously on an undergraduate bachelor's degree and a pre-service education program. The latter route incorporates education courses throughout the program's 4 or 5 years, and culminates in a final year of specific pre-service training. Students who complete a bachelor's degree before returning to a university to complete the pre-service education program are in a consecutive pre-service program, while students who complete their pre-service training at the same time as their undergraduate degree are in a concurrent" program (Van Nuland, 2011). 

Another Example and Description

Students who are enrolled in an undergraduate teaching degree in a tertiary education setting. In this research the samples used are pre-service teachers across the four years of the Bachelor of Teaching/Education degree at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Also known as teacher candidates, this term is used to describe student teachers who are enrolled in a teacher preparation program and working toward teacher certification. They complete supervised field-based teaching experiences with the support and mentorship of university faculty and K-12 cooperating teachers.

Program Example in the University of Cyprus Department of Education

The programme purports to prepare university graduates to undertake teaching responsibilities. There is an attempt to combine theory and practice in such a way that theory will be based on the accumulated results of practice, while at the same time practice should possess organizational and systematic characteristics deriving from generalization and principles.One of the programme's purposes is to enrich each graduate's potential with all necessary experiences and abilities that will render him capable of interpreting pedagogical theories and transforming the content of various cognitive subjects, so as to be able to play a successful role both in class and in the broader school environment.

Baca juga, 3 Pendekatan Pembelajaran Baru Yang Bisa Digunakan Oleh Mahasiswa Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Saat Program Pengalaman Lapangan (PPL), Microteaching Ataupun Praktek Mengajar Lainnya

The theoretical and practical aspects of the programme contribute to the development of the ability of the educator:
a) to observe systematically and to analyze the relations and interactions taking place in classroom and at school in general
b) to organize and direct the teaching process
c) to critically analyze the teaching task

The programme takes into account the uniqueness of various subjects and encourages and helps the candidates to develop mechanisms for composing and reforming specialized solutions for the teaching/learning issues in every cognitive subject. It is expected, after the completion of this programme, that teachers will develop a contemporary pedagogical philosophy that will help them carry out their job efficiently.