Classroom Practices of Teacher Educators: Constructivist versus Traditional Approach

Abstract

Teacher education curricula have been innovated in Pakistan. The curricula recommends constructivist practices for teacher educators. The current study examined the instructional practices of teacher educators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The overall objective of the study was to find out whether teacher educators (TE) used constructivist or traditional instructional practices in the Departments of Education (DoE) and Regional Institutes of Teacher Education (RITEs). Classroom observation protocol was developed for investigating the practices of 31 teachers, they were randomly selected from 211 teacher educators from 09 DoE in universities and 20 RITEs. Analysis of the data showed that teacher educators used most of the time traditional classroom practices, they did not use proper methods which could enable the prospective teachers to create knowledge, they transmitted knowledge, most of the teachers did not use constructivist practices and they did not have full cognizant of constructivist practices. Teachers did not come to the class well prepared for teaching for following constructivist practices. The study recommends training on constructivist practices, provision of a separate cadre of teacher educators in RITEs, and training on the use of information technology, and the provision of internet in teacher education institutes.