Teaching Practicum Challenges Encountered at University Level: Supervisors’ Perspectives

Teaching practice is crucial for future success and effective student teaching. Supervisors also face challenges during their practicum period. This study aimed to understand these major challenges using a survey research design. Six universities in the Multan district, including Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, University of Education Lahore (Multan Campus), Women University Multan, Times Institute Multan, Virtual University Multan, and Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan, were included in the population. The research aimed to understand the challenges supervisors face during their practicum period. Researchers conducted a study on 43 teachers from three universities, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, University of Education Lahore (Multan Campus), and Women University Multan, to understand the challenges they faced during their teaching practicum. Researchers used a self-developed questionnaire to assess supervisors’ perceptions of teaching practicum challenges. The questionnaire included 20 statements, two open-ended questions, and a five-point Likert scale for perception. Supervisors, experts, and a pilot study conducted the validation. The results showed an acceptable reliability level of 0.87 for the instrument. The researcher personally administered the questionnaire. The study analyzed supervisors' perceptions of challenges they faced during their teaching practice at the university level using mean and standard deviation, an independent sample t-test, percentage analysis, thematic analysis, and ANOVA. The results showed that many supervisors faced challenges with inadequate timing, shortage of skilled personnel, inadequate funding, and lack of communication skills. Adequate timing proved to be the most effective solution, complemented by the recommendations for skilled and experienced personnel, adequate funding, and the development of effective communication skills. The study suggests that supervisors should focus on improving their timing and communication skills to overcome these challenges.