Abstract:
This paper explores University supervisors’ and student teachers’ assessment of the value of teaching practice
and school context challenges in Kenya based on a study that examined perceptions on the influence of the
school context on the teacher interns performance in Moi University. Data was collected from a sample of thirty
one university supervisors and one hundred and forty eight Fourth Year Bachelor of Education students
proportionate to the four Degree programmes offered in the School of Education using questionnaires and
interviews. Descriptive statistics were computed using the SPSS computer package. It was found that despite the
varied teaching practice school characteristics of school administration, the pupils, the teachers and the learning
resources presenting a challenge to the student teachers’ translation of theory into practice they were in
agreement that teaching practice in the particular schools had made them more competent teachers and that they
had adequate opportunity for practice. Though the student teachers generally felt that teaching practice
experience was valuable to them irrespective of the school context, the university supervisors considered the
Provincial school category more adequate in providing opportunity for practice. In view of this, it is
recommended that there be regular evaluation of the teaching practice school contexts with regard to the
adequacy of the opportunities they provide to the student teachers for practice so as to eliminate those seriously
inadequate. Teaching practice schools should find ways of reducing debilitating factors so as to enhance the
teaching-learning process and student teaching.
