Many teachers who are currently employed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) at primary schools in Trinidad and Tobago are graduates with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree from the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). They were exposed to a range of courses including the practicum component of the programme. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the extent to which the UTT graduate-teachers have been prepared for the reality of the classroom. The study investigated the graduate-teachers’ beliefs about their preparedness for their present role in the classroom. It also explored their classroom teaching experiences, as well as determined the factors that contributed to their effectiveness or lack of effectiveness in the actual classroom situation. A mixed method study, with both quantitative and qualitative data, was conducted. Purposive sampling was used to gather data from sixty participants. The methods used for collecting data included face to face interviews, focus group interviews, questionnaires, and journaling which facilitated triangulation.

Published in: Canada International Conference on Education, 2017

• Date of Conference: 26-29 June, 2017
• DOI: 10.2053/CICE.2017.0285
• Electronic ISBN: 978-1-908320-83-4
• Conference Location: University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada