| dc.description.abstract | The urgent need in the Ugandan education system is for teacher preparation programme that offer opportunities of constructivist teaching experiences for students to enable them to gain pedagogical content, teaching skills and professionalism. Constructivist- Informed Teaching can guide tutors and students in Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) to find effective ways to plan, teach and find appropriate activities with an increased importance attached to creative thinking and ability to construct one’s own meaning and knowledge that enables preparation of holistic students for this complex interactive world. The study “Constructivist- Informed Teaching in Teacher Preparation at Teacher Training Institutions of South Eastern Uganda” focused on whether tutors carry out their teaching to enable students to construct their own ideas, knowledge, beliefs and values within the constructivists’ learning environment. The study offers a perspective of teaching that deepens both critical and creative thinking among tutors and students. The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of Constructivist-Informed Teaching in teacher preparation with the objectives to establish whether the constructivist approaches were being used to teach and prepare students, analyse the application of constructivist principles applied to school practice supervision and to examine the implementation of constructivist- guided coaching in the preparation of students’ professional growth. The study was aimed to enable a crossover the 21st century through the suggested aspects for improvement in teacher preparation. The study explored beliefs, implementation and disparities between practice and Constructivist Theory in teacher preparation. Twenty participants were purposively sampled comprising of tutors and students from three Teacher Training Institutions in South Eastern Uganda. This was a qualitative study with a phenomenological research design where data was gathered using in-depth multiple interviews, observation, and document analysis. Data collection and analysis followed Moustakas procedure of data analysis. The results revealed that tutors continue to rely on traditional approaches in the teaching of students, where the clinical supervision approach is not used during school practice and minimal attention was given to the non- classroom based activities. This research study adds to the body of knowledge about ways in which Constructivist- Informed Teaching supports teaching effectiveness and promotes students’ learning, amplifying the need for reflective practice in instruction at Teacher Training Institutions. Findings from this study will help to improve teacher preparation at the Teacher Training Institutions by supporting ongoing Continuous Professional Development through the use of several constructivists’ practices that include reflection, clinical supervision, constructivist-guided coaching, and other interventions in a proper and professional setting. Additionally, these results will help in the implementation of the National Teacher Policy (2019) and will also support the review of the Teacher Training Institutions’ Curricula being undertaken by the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education. | en_US |
