An examination of the impact of gradual teaching practice activities on the development of pre-service English teachers' professional competencies

The Teaching Practice course is one of the most critical components of pre-service teacher education, as it enables teacher candidates to develop their professional knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values through firsthand experiences in real school environments. This course provides candidates with the opportunity to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application, acquire in-class teaching competencies, and gain essential professional qualifications required for the teaching profession. An effectively implemented practicum process contributes to the development of teacher candidates' professional identity, enhances their ability to participate competently in instructional processes, and supports their transition into the teaching profession with greater readiness. Therefore, the quality of the Teaching Practice course plays a pivotal role in the overall success of teacher education systems. The purpose of this study is to find the effectiveness of the "Gradual Teaching Practice" (GTP) model, which was designed to enhance the quality of the practice course and to support the professional development of teacher candidates. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods research design that combined both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Data were gathered through the Teacher Candidates' Professional Competency Scale, the professional teaching competencies observation form, focus group interview forms, and semi-structured interview protocols. The development of English language teacher candidates in terms of professional knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values was analyzed by comparing control and experimental groups within a quasi-experimental design. Throughout the GTP process, teacher candidates received systematic feedback and guidance across the stages of designing, planning, preparation, pre-implementation, implementation, and overall evaluation. The results indicated that the professional competency scores of the experimental group were statistically significantly higher than those of the control group. In addition, qualitative data analyses based on observations from teacher candidates, cooperating teachers, and the researcher revealed that the GTP activities positively contributed to the candidates' professional development. In this context, it can be concluded that the GTP model is a functional and improvable approach that can enhance teacher education processes.