Title: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE TEACHING COMPETENCE OF FINAL-YEAR PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS AT A NORTHERN UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM

Authors: Tran Hoang Huong Giang and Phung Thi Thanh Tu

Abstract: This study focuses on investigating the teaching competence of final-year pre-service English teachers of a northern university in Vietnam based on their performance in the practicum experience and how they cope with challenges encountered along the way. The study views the participants’ teaching performance through the lens of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and Vietnamese Teacher Professional Standards. The data were collected through a mixed-methods approach with the use of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that, while the participants possessed high levels of Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge in planning and organizing a lesson, there were noted weaknesses in classroom management and time management and in assessment, especially in the setting of teaching the productive skills. At the same time, a prominent challenge for the participants was the theory – practice gap when implementing communicative approaches in real classroom contexts due to contextual constraints. The results emphasize the need for the integration of theory and practice in teacher education programs.

Keywords: Pre-service teachers, teaching competence, PCK framework, Vietnamese Teacher Professional Standards.

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