Perceptions of In-service EFL Teachers about Their Pre-service Practicum Experience in Iraqi-Kurdistan

Practicum is an integral part in most of the language teacher education (LTE) programs around the world. In many of these programs, practicum is designed to help student teachers put the theories they have learned into practice and get the chance to become familiar with the real world of teaching. Research has shown that there is a positive and strong relationship between teachers' sense of preparedness and the quality and longitude of the practicum they have taken in their pre-service preparation (Kee, 2012). This study investigated the perceptions of in-service EFL teachers about their pre-service practicum experience and its relation to their sense of preparedness in Iraqi-Kurdistan. A qualitative research method was used to reveal EFL teachers' feelings and attitudes towards their practicum experience. Interviews and side documents were used as tools for the collection of the data. The findings revealed that the majority of the participants were not satisfied with their practicum and described it as short, poorly organized, impractical, and insufficient.