American International Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 1 No.

1; July 2011
Perception of Student Teachers about Teaching Competencies
Anupama Bhargava
Lecturer
B.Ed. Departmant, St. Xavier’s College
Ranchi, India
Email:[email protected]
Dr.Minaketan Pathy
Principal
Dr. P.M. Institute of Advanced Study in Education
Sambalpur, Orissa, India

Abstract
Education in its holistic approach serves many purposes. It enables a person to stretch his potentialities for
welfare of self, family and society. Education enthuses the individual with responsibility of developing and
sustaining a just socio-economic system, conserving and transmitting human heritage, moreover adopting a
sensible and sensitive approach towards utilization of resources. These aspirations can’t be accomplished in
absence of proficient educational system, especially a professionally competent teacher. Student teachers
enter the initial teacher training programme with already established beliefs and value system. Their
perception of teacher and teaching profession can play a significant role in developing competencies to be an
adept teacher. This paper is an effort to get a glimpse of student teachers’ preferred competencies.
Index terms: Competency, Personal competency, Professional competency, Student Teacher, Perception
Introduction
A paramount factor in the teaching learning system is the teacher. A sound educational system can flourish if
two conditions are successfully met. First is the constant updating and refinement in knowledge and skill of
serving teachers and second one is equipping student teachers (teacher trainees) with befitting competencies
and positive attitude towards profession. Competencies are specific and demonstrable characteristics or
attributes inevitable for teaching professionals to create a convincing and learner friendly environment.
Competencies being concerned with three domains of learner’s behaviour are imperative for teacher to bear
prime responsibilities. Besides disseminating knowledge, teacher helps students:
a) To develop rationale and scientific temperament.
b) To foresee advancements in all spheres of life and its impact on the society.
c) To help students in conserving and transmitting values nurtured by the society.
Who is a competent teacher?
Mere possession of knowledge and certified qualification gives no assurance to meet the aforesaid objectives.
For this, it is obligatory for a teacher to have appropriate comprehension of human nature, its needs, and
developmental principles in light of urbanisation, technology advancements and industrialisation locally as
well as globally. Due to vast extension in roles and responsibilities, a teacher has to display high order of
professionalism inside and outside the classroom. It is impossible for a teacher to possess all competencies in
perfect amalgam though training and experience lead teacher towards proficiency. A competent teacher is
temperamentally warm and cordial. She has clear vision of the set objectives. She executes meticulously
whatever is planned. Management of affairs is done effectively by her inside and outside the classroom. Her
skill of presentation of subject matter is able to seek attention of students. She is capable of motivating the
back benchers.
Prior research findings related to perception of teaching competencies
It is established beyond doubt that there lies a strong relationship between teacher competence and effective
teaching. Teaching competence also bears the marks of perception, value and beliefs that the individual
carries when she enters teacher training programme. This view is supported by Hirst (1990); Koetsier,
Wubbles and Korthagen (1997). While echoing similar views, Joram and Gabrielle (1998); Anderseon,
Bluemenfield, Pintrich, Clark, Marx and Peterson (1995);Wubbles (1992); Zeichner and Gore (1990) stated
that most student teachers enter programme with already established set of beliefs. Bodycott, Walker and Lee
(2001) advocated similar views by stating that earlier formed beliefs and principles are part and parcel of
student teachers’ personality. Perceptions and expectations of profession form the beliefs. Richardson (1996)
highlighted that beliefs are formed due to accumulation of prior experiences in home and at school. Kagan
(1992) reiterated that students always bear in memory their days as students and impressions of good teachers.
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Powell (1992); Hollingsworth (1989) in their studies revealed that in the perception of pre-service teachers
content, knowledge and ability to communicate form the foundation of good teaching. Wade and Moor (1992)
stated that teachers need knowledge of pedagogy and training to develop themselves as adept teachers
confident of their own ability and with a faith on the potential of the students. Pajares (1992) believed that
attitudes, expectations, perceptions of student teachers during training period must be taken into account by
teacher educators. This can extend help in inculcating values and desirable competencies among student
teachers.
Objectives of Study
Teaching is a challenging activity with vast operational area. It relies on clearly defined set of competencies
possessed by professionals working in this field. Initial teacher training programme stresses on developing
these competencies to bring quality in education sector. Perception plays a pivotal role in attainment and
practice of competencies in professional field. The present study focuses on perception of student teachers of
the essential competencies they want to see in a teacher. The objectives of the study were:
a) To find out the perception of student teachers of the essential competencies in teaching
b) To identify the competencies ranked high by student teachers
c) To find out the least preferred competencies perceived by teacher students
d) To bring to light some significant competencies ranked low by student teachers
Methodology
100 student teachers of B.Ed. programme in St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi (an autonomous college under
Ranchi University) were taken as the sample for the study. Two of them didn’t respond. Hence, the sample
size remained restricted to 98 comprising 73 Female and 25 male student teachers. Student teachers at the start
of session were asked to write and rank any twenty competencies which they considered essential for them to
excel in the job as a teacher. The competency which they considered the most indispensable was ranked as
number one and the least preferred one was ranked twenty. Student teachers actively participated in this
exercise.
After reviewing the text written by them, sixty five competencies were identified as the overall teaching
competencies. An item wise analysis was done to discard the overlapping and least preferred competencies.
In the second stage, competencies were categorised under two headings as personal and professional. Out of
the total 22 items were classified as personal and 23 items as professional competencies. After one month
from the first exercise, student teachers were again asked to rank these competencies in descending order from
1-22/23. The competency placed at number one was given a score of 22/23 and the one placed at the bottom
was given score one by the researcher. This process was repeated for all listed competencies by ninety eight
student teachers. Mean of each competency was calculated by using the following formulae.
Mean = Total score of each competency / No. of student teachers
Presentation:
Table-1: Mean values of Personal competencies
Sl. No. Competency Mean
1 Confident 16.204
2 Intelligent 15.276
3 Friendly 14.888
4 Polite 14.694
5 Patient 14.563
6 Honest 14.480
7 Intellectual 13.337
8 Pleasant Personality 12.980
9 Energetic 12.898
10 Positive attitude for weak students 12.429
11 Love for students 11.929
12 Helpful 11.163
13 Healthy 11.153
14 Kind 11.031
15 Social 10.949
16 Guide 9.888
17 Approachable 8.469
18 Patriotic 8.235
19 Neat/ Smart dressing 8.143
20 Humorous 8.061
21 Not Vindictive 7.153
22 Promotes National Integration 7.102
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Table-2 : Mean values of Professional competencies
Sl. No. Competency Mean
1. Knowledge of subject matter 18.653
2. Effective communication skill 17.541
3. Punctual 16.480
4. Disciplinarian 15.286
5. Understands child psychology 14.357
6. Decision making capability 13.520
7. Prepares lesson before teaching 13.460
8. Motivates students 13.296
9. Takes leadership 13.092
10. Good Planner 12.898
11. Command over language 12.735
12. Updated knowledge 12.224
13. Proper use of teaching skills 12.031
14. Trained Professional 11.878
15. Dedicated 11.602
16. Good manager 11.276
17. Experience in teaching 11.204
18. Impartial 10.837
19. Creative 10.786
20. Democratic 8.000
21. Actively participates in co-curricular activities 6.929
22. Courteous & respectful to parents 6.265
23. Technology savvy 5.765
Results
As evident from Table-1, personal competencies like confident (16.204), intelligent (15.276), friendly, polite,
patient, honest are the top five competencies followed by pleasant personality, energetic, and positive attitude
towards weak students. Competencies like neat and smart dressing, humorous, not vindictive and promoting
national integration are the bottom ranked competencies. In professional category, student teachers attach more
value to knowledge of subject matter (18.653), effective communication skill (17.541), punctual (16.480),
disciplinarian (15.286) and Understands Child Psychology (14.357). Student teachers do not rate highly the
competencies like Actively participates in school activity (6.929), courteous and respectful to parents (6.265)
and technology savvy (5.765), while competencies like updated knowledge ( 12.224), proper use of teaching
skills (12.031), trained professional (11.878) find place in middle order as indicated in Table-2.
Discussion
 Perception of student teachers regarding teaching competencies bears the influence of teaching styles and
methods adopted by their teachers. Many researchers opined this by stating that teachers reflect ways of
teaching of their own teachers (Frank, 1990; Fulton, 1989; Goodland,1990; Handler, 1993). Student
teachers consider that a confident and an intelligent teacher can accomplish professional duties
convincingly. Hence they attached utmost importance to these competencies by placing them at number one
and two. Polite, Patient and Honest are other noteworthy competencies. As per perception of student
teachers, basic competencies like honest, patient, kind and caring attitude in a teacher help students to
realise their true potential. Students always look forward to encouragement and companionship extended by
teachers. Veldman and Peck (1963) also found that friendly, cheerful, knowledgeable are the characteristics
which are always looked up by students in a teacher. Self concept of students becomes high when teacher is
more social and willing to extend emotional support to students. Lowman (1984) advocated this view by
stating that a successful teacher is able to develop interpersonal relations with students and stimulate them
intellectually. Student teachers also acknowledged this and placed competencies like love for student, kind,
helpful and social among top fifteen competencies.
 Performance of bright and more vocal classmates sometimes causes anxiety and exerts pressure on quieter
and introvert students in the class. Knowledge of psychological principles, being friendly and humorous
help teachers motivate such students and encourage them to participate actively in the classroom/ school
activities. Calderhead (1996), Pianta (1999) and Watson (2003) also hold the same viewpoint by pointing
that teaching relies on psychological principles. Motivating students, creating personal rapport with them
and generating conducive environment of learning entirely depend on personal competencies of a teacher.
 These days much emphasis is laid on the role of a teacher as a guide. Appropriate and timely guidance
boosts the confidence level of students along with preventing wastage of time. Best (1991) viewed that
leading aim of a teacher should be to promote spirit of inquiry and cultivate habit of independent thinking
among students.
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 Besides possessing these competencies teachers display certain salient professional competencies which are
requisite to meet demands of this profession. Student teachers have ranked knowledge of subject matter,
communication skill, maintaining punctuality and discipline as foremost teaching competencies. These
competencies are also acknowledged by many. Medley (1977) observed that competent teacher is well
versed in his subject as well as possesses positive attitude towards school. Kalra (1977) pointed out that
quality of teaching is influenced by sound knowledge of subject matter and application of psychological
principles by teacher. Kohll (1992) stressed that a competent teacher embodies knowledge of subject matter,
has understanding of society’s needs and factors bearing impact on education. Mukhopadhyay (1994)
rightly claimed that effective communication skills leads students towards meaningful behaviour and helps
teacher in attaining educational goals. Spirthall et.al. (1994) stressed on importance of both verbal and non
verbal communication in the class by teacher. Communication also helps teacher in establishing trustworthy
relationship with parents and in convincing authorities of her capabilities. Teacher should be a
disciplinarian. Student teachers advocated this competency by placing it at number four. A motivated
environment can be created in the class if students are self disciplined. Ur (1996) stated that discipline aids
teacher in smooth conduction of class by facilitating encouraging situations in the class.
 Decision making capability is also a preferred competency of student teachers. Classroom affairs and other
professional engagements can be managed efficiently if appropriate decisions are taken by the teacher.
Bolin (1989) stated that decision making capability must be developed in teacher for personal and
professional growth. Lee (1991) agreed to this by stating that teachers should be empowered to act as
professionals. Bennis (1989) stated that leadership signifies judicious use of power and wisdom for
attainment of goal. Ovando (1996) echoed similar views that teachers who possess leadership quality dare to
be more innovative in class. Student teachers have also voted this competency highly by giving it ninth
rank. Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001) agreed to this by saying that leadership of teacher extends beyond
classroom and casts influence on society also. Teacher as leader also plays the role of decision maker, action
researcher, knowledge facilitator and motivator. Teacher as motivator improves confidence level of
students. Cultured and encouraging language used by teacher in the classroom, stimulates students to
perform well. Sarcasm, rebuke or corporal punishments are not in scene in modern classrooms. Student
teachers also strongly believe this.
 Experience in any profession is considered as an asset. This holds true for teaching also. Keeping
importance of experience in mind, student teachers consider it as a vital competency. Lieberman et.al (2000)
reported that experience of a teacher gives him confidence and improves his performance in teaching,
motivating, encouraging and leading students.
However, competencies like not vindictive, technology savvy and promotion of national integration are not
ranked highly by the student teachers. Student teachers perceived that a teacher has to be kind, impartial and
patriot, so they placed these competencies at higher rank and the former competencies on lower pedestal.
Teachers have to be technology savvy so that modern technology can find entrance in classroom and can be
exploited for the benefit of the learners. But this competency is placed at the lowest rank by the student
teachers. Reasons for this can be that student teachers belong to that generation of learners who have not
seen use of technology in class rooms nor in the teacher training institutes. Educational technology should
be taught not as a theoretical subject but student teachers must get a training to apply it practically in
classrooms. In student teacher’s perception, certain competencies like love for students, knowledge of
subject matter, punctuality, communication skill are indispensible and can’t be replaced by other
competencies.
Conclusion
Teaching being a multifaceted activity requires updated knowledge and broad vision. A student teacher might
be gifted with some natural endowments to be a competent teacher. But knowledge and application of
pedagogical principles develops professional acumen and profound understanding of learner’s behaviour.
Initial teacher training programme can address the issue of individual differences with respect to student
teachers by designing curriculum in such a way that stress is on competency development. For this,
improvement in microteaching techniques and practice teaching sessions is necessary. Focussing attention on
student teachers through continuous comprehensive evaluation throughout the training period is a prerequisite
for an efficient teacher training programme.

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