**1. Introduction**

Teaching practicum occupies a key position in the teacher education program, serving as the culminating experience in teacher preparation; it offers beginning teachers the opportunity to practice in a real setting and be socialized into the teaching profession.

Overall, practicum experiences of student teachers are determined by multiple integrated and interrelated factors, including the nature of the school environment for the practicum, the duration of the practicum exercise, the effectiveness of the teacher educator who evaluates the student teachers, the expertise of the school-based mentors, and the nature and consistency of the feedback received from both schoolbased mentors and teacher educators [1]. A recent study by Mokoena [2] revealed that student teachers face challenges pertaining to on-time placement in schools, placement in approved schools to undertake teaching practice [3], and supervision and mentoring during the practicum. Some schools, for example, while willing to accommodate student teachers, may struggle with poor management, non-existent timetables, insufficient staff, and inadequate mentoring, all of which can be detrimental during practicum and leave students feeling demotivated and disillusioned.

According to Yaylı [4], practicum experiences in teaching schools help in translating theoretical aspects of the program into practical, doable actions, which are valuable to student teachers as they reflect on the support, guidance, and assessment provided by the schools and higher learning institutions. Allen [5] contends that the practicum period must be enhanced by the involvement of stakeholders who are well capacitated and distinctly aware of their roles and responsibilities. Those in the program must be acquainted with the coordination of the teaching schools' and higher education institutions' practicum-work relationship.

Student teaching experiences are regarded as the most influential component of a teacher education program [6–8], shaping student teacher development from novice teachers to competent teachers. At the heart of the teaching experience is the relationship between mentor teachers and student teachers [9], a relationship that leads to the transformation of the teachers involved [10]. The overall success of the professional practice unit—the entire practicum—depends heavily on a positive relationship between these two parties [11].

Assessment, another core element of the practicum, is utilized to determine the progress of the student teacher, the need for support and guidance, and the readiness to enter the teaching profession upon graduation. According to Joughin [12], assessment plays a multifaceted role in supporting the process of learning, judging student achievement in relation to course requirements, and maintaining the standards of the profession. As enacted in the teacher program, assessment assists teacher educators and school-based mentors in formative and summative evaluation of the student teachers when assigned for the practicum in teaching schools [13].

This research study has been designed to explore student teacher experiences of the teaching practicum based on their perceptions of assessment of their performance during this practicum. These experiences, as determined in this study, will contribute to the roles and responsibilities of school-based mentors and teacher educators in

*Student Teacher Experiences of the Teaching Practicum in an Initial Teacher Education Programme… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112306*

shaping relevant skills and knowledge desired for a qualified educator to ensure that these roles and responsibilities are carried out efficiently and effectively based on the procedures and guidelines of ITE programs.

This chapter explores student teacher experiences of the teaching practicum in an ITE program, posing the following question:

*How do student teachers perceive teacher educator assessment of their teaching practicum?*
