A Comparative Glance At Teaching Practice of Mother Tongue Teacher Candidates in Türkiye and United Kingdom

Abstract

This research aimed to determine how prospective secondary school language teachers conduct their teaching practicum in the United Kingdom and Türkiye. The study was designed using a multiple-case holistic design. Accordingly, data for the research were collected through document analysis and interviews. Data related to the teaching practicum in the Turkish Language Teaching program at Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Faculty of Education in Türkiye were obtained through document analysis. Data regarding the teaching practicum in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education program for secondary English teaching at the University of Reading Faculty of Education in the United Kingdom were obtained through document analysis and interviews with faculty members at the institution. It is evident that while the instructional content of teaching practicums in both nations exhibits substantial similarities, a notable disparity emerges with regard to the temporal extent of the practicum experience afforded to prospective secondary school language educators. As a result, the process of teaching practicums for secondary school language teacher candidates differs between Türkiye and the UK in terms of practicum hours, school diversity, and assessment methods.