Exploring the Pedagogical and Cultural Challenges Faced by English Education Students during Teaching Practice in Malaysia
Keywords:
Teaching practice, Pedagogical challenges, Cultural adaptation, English education studentsAbstract
This study explores the pedagogical and cultural challenges faced by English Language Education students from UIN Ar-Raniry during teaching practice in Malaysia. It highlights their adaptation to different classroom settings, language barriers, and cultural norms. This study uses a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of 10 English education students during their teaching practice in Malaysia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. This method helps uncover themes related to pedagogical and cultural challenges, offering insights into how students adapted to a new educational and cultural environment. Key challenges included adapting to teacher-centered approaches, low student participation, cultural diversity, and language barriers. These issues affected their teaching effectiveness and required flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and creative strategies to engage learners. The findings highlight the importance of preparation for cross-cultural and pedagogical adaptation. Future studies can look at how teaching in another country helps student teachers grow over time. It is also important to study how schools or universities can give better support to help them get ready for teaching in a different culture.
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