Through the eyes of young EFL learners: learning with student teachers

Abstract

Abstract The importance of the practicum for pre-service teachers is well documented in the teacher education literature. A considerable amount of research has investigated various dimensions of the student teaching experience, from student teachers’ beliefs and perceptions to the problems and challenges they face within the process. However, one important dimension, namely what pupils in the classroom think about working with student teachers, has not been given much attention. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate how young EFL learners construe their learning experience with student teachers. Data were collected from the drawings of 35 primary school EFL pupils, and we conducted follow-up interviews in which volunteering pupils described what they had drawn. The findings revealed not only pupils’ classroom experiences with student teachers but also various aspects of mentoring practices carried out in the schools.