Enhancing the Professional Attitude among the Student Teachers

Abstract

This research was undertaken to explore the professional demeanour of B.Ed. student teachers, encompassing their conduct within a professional context, which encompasses aspects such as appearance, behavior, and interactions related to the pursuit of knowledge and expectations. The primary aim of this study was to develop and validate an intervention program named the "Professional Attitude Development Program" (PADP). The research hypotheses was formulated to investigate whether there was a significant difference in student performance when assessed with a pre-test and post-test after participating in the program. To accomplish this, a single-group pre-test-post-test experimental design was employed. Various tools, including pre-test, post-test, and the intervention program consisting of ten components, were developed and standardized. A sample of eighteen Physical Sciences students and two Biological Sciences student teachers from St. Ann’s College of Education were selected using a random sampling technique. The intervention program spanned ten days, and data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-tests. The results indicated a slight improvement in mean scores but no significant differences in the overall professional attitude among student teachers were observed. A component-wise analysis was conducted, leading to the conclusion that short-term programs may not be effective in bringing about attitudinal changes.