Developing teaching aids to improve the training delivery skills of vocational student teachers

Abstract

A good teacher is measured by the ability to use multiple teaching methods and mediums to convey the same information. Development of teaching aids gives the teacher the opportunity to prepare good content, set appropriate goals, plan appropriate methods of training delivery and evaluation of learners. In this action research project, my aim was to improve training delivery skills of student teachers through the process of developing teaching aids. I carried out this project with student teachers under the programme of Diploma in Instructor Technical Teacher Education (DITTE) at Nakawa VTI at the department of instructor training department in Kampala in Uganda. The objectives of this study were: to establish the challenges the student teachers encounter while developing teaching aids, determine the factors they should consider when developing teaching aids, describe the importance of teaching aids and demonstrate the construction of teaching aids. I draw the project conceptual framework from the Hiim didactical model which describes the relationship between fundamental educational concepts: students learning resources and needs, pedagogical framework conditions and scope, educational aims and goals, subject matter / content, teaching and learning methods and evaluations. In this study, I used the qualitative approach and data collected through interviews, focus group discussions and observations. The data collected indicated that the students the main challenges participants encounter in developing teaching aids were the scarcity of resources, inadequate technical skill, insufficient pedagogical orientation and lack of support from their supervisors. Therefore, engaging participants in challenging situations that require thinking and putting ideas together in their areas of specialization can improve their ability in training delivery skills. Hence, I recommend that the teacher trainer should work hard to help the student teachers solve their problems in a more practical approach.