Assessing Teacher Trainees’ Perceptions of Lecturers' Feedback During Teaching Practice in Rombo District Secondary Schools, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examines Student-teachers’ perceptions of Lecturers’ feedback during teaching practice in Rombo district, Tanzania, It explores how student-teachers perceive the quality, usefulness, and impact of feedback received, focusing on feedback delivery time, perceived fairness, tone and clarity of comments, and its influence on teaching performance. The study was grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (1984) and Hattie and Timperley’s Model of Feedback (2007) in Understanding student-teachers’ perceptions of lecturers' feedback which offers practical recommendations for enhancing teacher education curricula and supervision practice in secondary schools. The study employed mixed methods and used a convergent design. The target population was 765 respondents. The study used a sample of 170 respondents. Where 140 student-teachers were stratified randomly selected, 15 heads of schools and 15 academic teachers were selected purposively from 15 secondary schools. The data were collected through both open-ended and close-ended questions to gather insights from the participants (student-teachers). In-depth interviews and Semi-Structured Interviews were conducted with an interview guide to heads of schools and Academic teachers. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in terms of percentages and frequencies with the aid of IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences v26. Thematic analysis was also conducted for qualitative data. Findings revealed that student teachers regarded feedback from tutors as instrumental in developing their professional competencies, with constructive criticism and guidance helping to enhance their teaching skills. The study concludes that both feedback from lecturers and mentorship from in-service teachers significantly contribute to developing student-teachers’ instructional strategies and classroom confidence. The study underscores the value of regular, fair, and reflective feedback in enhancing student-teachers' professional development and suggests ongoing monitoring and refinement of feedback practices address identified concerns and further support educational growth. Further research should examine how the length of teaching practice affects student-teacher development and performance.