Areas of Specialisation and Years of Experience of Facilitators as Predictors of Undergraduate Distance Learners' Performance in Microteaching Practicum
Abstract:The focus of this research was to establish the influence of facilitators’ areas of specialisation and teaching experience on the undergraduate distance learners’ academic performance in microteaching practicum in National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja. The study adopted a descriptive survey design of the expost-facto type. The study involved 40 facilitators and 1,000 teacher trainees selected using purposive sampling technique. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested. The t-test and inferential statistics of analysis of variance were employed to analysed the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. The findings of the study revealed that areas of specialisation (t (1,38) = 6.40 with p = 0.00 < 0.05) and years of teaching experience (F(2,39) = 688.28; p = 0.00 < 0.05) of the facilitators had statistically significant differences on the teacher trainees’ academic performance in microteaching practicum. It was recommended that the importance of the microteaching practicum as a key step in the process of teacher preparation and professional training should be emphasized, so the university and faculty should make sure that sensitization seminars and workshops are organized for all participating facilitators and teacher trainees, respectively, at the beginning of the semester.
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