Evaluating the effectiveness of the Internship course in the MA TEFL program. A case study

Abstract

Many academic programs provide internship opportunities to their students, enhancing their teaching practice and preparing them for their future careers. No recent studies were conducted in Armenia to reveal the student-teachers’ attitude towards the internship opportunity they were provided within the scope of the MA TEFL program. This qualitative research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and the impact of internship courses on the professional development of student-teachers in the Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (MA TEFL) program at the local university in Armenia. The internship experience is a significant aspect of every MA TEFL program as it prepares student-teachers for their future career. The study participants were four faculty members who were mentors during the internship course and twenty-one MA TEFL student-teachers who have completed their internship course. The data on the mentors’ and student teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of the internship course was collected through four one-to-one online interviews with faculty members, then four one-to-one online interviews with a focus group consisting of student-teachers from the MA TEFL program. Also, an online survey was conducted with twenty-one student-teachers. Additionally, the reflections of student-teachers were collected anonymously to have more insights about their internship experiences, which they had to write after the accomplishment of their internship course. The study's findings revealed that the student-teachers generally have positive attitudes towards the internship course. However, the findings revealed that some challenges created anxiety among student teachers during their internship experiences. The results helped to understand student-teachers’ dissatisfaction with the grading system, setting and time of internship course, the role of cooperating teachers, feedback system and preparation. Finally, some suggestions were offered to improve the internship course by faculty members and student-teachers to help student teachers reduce their anxiety and provide coping strategies with stress with the program's help.