Physical Education and Sports Preservice Teachers' Experiences in Professional Knowledge Courses for Teacher Training

Abstract

Professional knowledge courses for teachers are as important as field courses because while field courses emphasise what should be taught, professional knowledge courses focus on how it should be taught, including how to be a good teacher. It is expected that professional knowledge courses in school have a great importance and impact on pre-service teachers to use the skills they have learned in the faculty when they start their professional life, as well as to adopt the behaviours and roles related to their professional knowledge. In this context, the purpose of this study is to discover the experiences of pre-service teachers of Physical Education and Sport in relation to professional knowledge courses. This research was designed in a phenomenological pattern by adopting the qualitative method. Based on the professional knowledge and course experiences of each pre-service teacher, the similarities and differences between the cases were examined. In conclusion, 'Educational Psychology' and 'Teaching Principles and Methods' were found to be the most useful courses. They benefited most from 'School Experience and Professional Practice' as a teacher training course. However, they didn't benefit enough from the 'Measurement and Evaluation' and 'Classroom Management' courses. Lecturers need to get to know pre-service teachers before and during the course and make them feel that they are experts by adapting the course to the field using different materials, educational technologies, real-life stories, and different methods

Keywords

• physical education and sports teacher
• professional knowledge courses
• pre-service teachers
• characteristics of the lecturers