Practicum stress and coping strategies of pre-service language teachers

As the leading position of English as the world's primary language for international communication has evidently been continuing for several decades, English language teacher education is getting more and more important. One of the most major components of teacher education programs is the practicum that requires senior pre-service language teachers to observe classes and do practice teaching before actual teaching profession. Recently, there has been increasing research focusing on identifying practicum-related stress sources and their coping strategies in order to maximize the efficiency of practicum. Based on a mixed-method research design with pragmatism research paradigm, this study constitutes an example of a multiple case study which aimed to investigate the pre-service language teachers' stresses and their coping strategies throughout the second term of the practicum. This study was conducted with the participation of fifteen senior pre-service language teachers who were selected by convenience sampling. The data for the study were collected through questionnaires, reflective journals, focused group and one-to-one interviews, observation visits, video-taping of formal micro-teaching performances, and field notes. The quantitative data of the study was analyzed by SPSS 18 and the qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis. The sources of practicum-related stresses were discussed under seven categories: classroom management, social factors, school mentors' attitude, affective factors, ELT methods and techniques, textbook, and professional factors. The highest source of stress was associated with classroom management. In coping with practicum-related stresses, the most frequently used strategies by pre-service language teachers (from high to low) during the second term of practicum were maintaining discipline, following interesting activities, ignoring, and negotiating with university supervisor. Also, the most effective stress coping strategy was negotiating with university supervisor. It is suggested that stress generating factors and the strategies that pre-service language teachers employ should be discussed and reflected upon in pre-service language teacher education programs.