Prospective Teachers' Beliefs About Understanding Professional Knowledge in a Caribbean University

• In Event: 60.062 - Learning From African and Caribbean Students' and Teachers' Experiences

Abstract

Abstract

This study examines differences in beliefs about understanding professional knowledge among four year groups of prospective teachers from two campuses. Prospective teachers (n=296) who varied in age, teaching status, gender, educational qualification and year in a Bachelor of Education programme participated in the study. Prospective teachers filled out a survey questionnaire comprising of demographic data and two scales. Analysis of data using Kruskal-Wallis (p < .05) revealed statistically significant differences in beliefs about subject content knowledge across year groups and between campuses in one scale. Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni adjustments (p < .025) suggest that differences in beliefs occurred at the end of each academic year in the programme.

Author

• Yvonne Joseph, The University of Trinidad and Tobago