The journey to becoming professionals: Student teachers’ experiences of teaching practice in a rural South African context

This article reports on the experiences of 14 Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) students who took part in a four-week teaching practice in a rural South African school. Drawing on a socio-constructivist learning theory, data were collected from the student teachers’ reflective journals and audio taped collaborative reflection sessions. Findings indicate that while student teachers had positive experiences related to collaborative reflection sessions and classroom practice, these tended to be outweighed by the negative experiences with school-based mentors and the school context. We argue that notwithstanding their positive experiences during teaching practice, the challenges which student teachers experience may considerably shape their ability to derive maximum benefit from the practicum and indeed, from their pre-service training.