As part of graduating requirements, the Diploma in Early Childhood Education (DECE) and Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECE) require all students to undergo 6-8 weeks of practicum training for each program. While most students enter the BECE with a pre-university qualification, some students choose the route of undertaking both the DECE and BECE, thus they undergo the practicum twice. This study focused on the experiences of 4 pre-service teachers and investigated if the practicums played a role in ascertaining decisions to become Early Childhood Educators. 3 research questions were formulated to meet the study’s aims; who were the pillars of support to the pre-service teachers’ throughout their journey, what were their perceptions of the teaching profession and how did the practicums impact their intentions to pursue a career as a preschool teacher. Using the qualitative approach, data comprised individual reflective entries throughout their practicums and a focused group interview carried out after the practicum. Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Community of Practice’s provided the theoretical framework while a thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Findings showed that the students found the practicum challenging and trying despite having prior experience in DECE. However, having their pillars of support such as peers and the community at the practicum centre helped make their practicum experiences bearable. Finally, results showed that most of them do not intend to pursue a career in becoming a preschool teacher.

Authors:
Menn Sze Chua, HELP University, Malaysia

About the Presenter(s)
Menn Sze is currently a lecturer with the Department of Education at HELP University, Malaysia.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mennszechua/

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