TITLE:
Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice: An Analysis of Mzuzu University’s Bachelor of Education (Language) Programme
AUTHORS:
Lydia Kishindo-Mafuta
KEYWORDS:
Pedagogy, Content, Teaching Methods, Education Foundations
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.9 No.11,
November
25,
2021
ABSTRACT: Language teacher
education should provide student teachers with pedagogical content knowledge
which is the knowledge that separates a teacher from a mere major of English.
PCK means a student teacher will have knowledge of the content, the pedagogy as
well as the context in which this will be used. This means the process of one
acquiring PCK ensures that there is a link between theory and practice. This
study therefore aimed at analysing the Bachelor of Education (Language)
programme at Mzuzu University in order to understand how theory and practice
are integrated. The data was generated through document analysis. The study has
revealed that the programme has made an effort to integrate theory with
practice through the kind of courses that are offered to the students. The
English teaching methodology courses provide a platform in which the content is
integrated into the practice. In addition, the theoretical knowledge gained in
the lecture rooms is actualised through teaching practice.