Evaluation of teaching practice course based upon context, input, process and product model: The case of English teacher education program

The aim of the present study is to make a thorough evaluation of Teaching Practice course through using CIPP (Context, Input, Process and Product) program evaluation model of Stufflebeam. The present study adopted a qualitative study design in order to fulfill its above mentioned aim. The study group of the study consisted of three groups of volunteer participants, who were assigned through convenience sampling technique. The participants in the first group were 18 pre-service ELT teachers enrolled in Teaching Practice course during 2015-2016 academic year in English Language Teacher Education undergraduate program at Education Faculty of Akdeniz University. The second group consisted of six academic staff who supervise the pre-service teachers in their teaching practice course. The final group includes 15 cooperating teachers, who work in the practice schools where the pre-service teachers carried out their teaching practice program. The data of the study were gathered by semi-structured interviews with academic staff and cooperating teachers, focus group interviews by pre-service teachers and analysis of the document related to teaching practice and its regulations. The data gathered through semi-structured and focus group interviews as well as the related documents were examined through content analysis technique in order to illustrate the findings. The findings of the present study were presented in line with the research questions and phases of Stuffelebeam's CIPP program evaluation model. Thus, in terms of Context, it is found that Teaching Practice course program did not take the contexts of the practice schools into consideration, however, its objectives were in compliance with the readiness levels of the pre-service teachers. In terms of Input, the findings revealed that the length of the course as well its timing were not widely acclaimed by all of the participants. In terms of Process, the findings figured out that the participants faced with several problems throughout the teaching practice process especially in sustained evaluation of pre-service teachers and providing satisfying feedback for pre-service teachers. In terms of Product, on the other hand, the findings revealed that while there is a considerable increase in the motivation of the pre-service teachers towards teaching profession the course do not contribute to their professional development especially in pleasing their professional competencies required by Ministry of Education. When the entire findings were regarded, which signpost the general evaluation of the Teaching Practice course, it is found that although the nature of course is process oriented, rather than a formative, a summative evaluation approach govern the assessment of the pre-service teachers. Thus, in turn, cause some problems in the evaluation process of the achievements of the pre-service teachers. Additionally, the findings revealed that based on the ignorance of some crucial characteristics of teaching practice process, especially in the implementation phase, all stakeholders taking active part in teaching practice course have challenged with considerable problems. Based on the findings some suggestions, specifically concerning the renovation and upgrading of the program, were provided within the frame of the present study.