ABSTRACT

This study addresses the retention problems of at-risk students in the Foundation Year Program at the Bahrain Teachers' College. Data were collected from the instructors and the students using questionnaires and focus group interviews. Findings show that both instructors and students think the college could play a more active role to increase the readiness of the students for undergraduate work in teacher education. They indicate that major areas where students need instructional support include the language arts (Arabic and English language), maths, science, and the skills for group work and oral presentations. However, students and instructors had opposing viewpoints regarding the expected level of support provided by the instructors as well as the level of assessment and its alignment with course content. Taking the students’ and the instructors’ views into consideration, the researchers conclude the study with a recommendation for the restructuring of the foundation year curriculum to align with the needs of the students and for the inclusion of regular and relevant professional development for instructors. The significance of this study is that it serves as a microcosm for the challenges faced by in-coming students in other teacher training programs in the Arabian Gulf region.

摘要

本研究解决了巴林师范学院预科课程中高危学生的保留问题。使用问卷和焦点小组访谈从教师和学生那里收集数据。调查结果表明，教师和学生都认为学院可以发挥更积极的作用，提高学生在师范教育中为本科工作做好准备。他们指出，学生需要教学支持的主要领域包括语言艺术（阿拉伯语和英语）、数学、科学以及小组工作和口头陈述的技能。然而，学生和教师在教师提供的预期支持水平以及评估水平及其与课程内容的一致性方面存在相反的观点。考虑到学生和教师的意见，研究人员在研究结束时建议重组基础年课程以适应学生的需求，并为教师提供定期和相关的专业发展。这项研究的意义在于，它是阿拉伯湾地区其他教师培训项目中新生所面临挑战的缩影。