Comparison of the importance-implementation perception of elementary school teachers and prospective teachers regarding elementary school teachers' teaching competencies

Objectives The purpose of this study is to identify the differences in perceptions between elementary teachers and prospective teachers regarding the importance and implementation of elementary teachers' teaching competency and to seek educational measures to improve elementary teachers' teaching competency through needs analysis based on this. Methods To this end, the results of a survey conducted on 213 current elementary teachers and 245 prospective elementary teachers were analyzed. The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, and the reliability was .745 (elementary teachers) and .809 (prospective teachers). In order to analyze the differences in perception between the two groups, descriptive statistics using the mean and standard deviation, independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test, and Borich educational needs analysis were conducted. Results First, elementary school teachers and prospective teachers showed differences in their perceptions of the importance of subject knowledge competency, teaching-learning material production competency required for classes, and various media and ICT utilization competency for teaching-learning. Second, elementary school teachers and prospective teachers showed differences in their perceptions of the implementation of 10 teaching competencies corresponding to class design, implementation, and evaluation items. Third, elementary school teachers showed lower implementation than importance in teaching-learning design competency considering elementary school students’ developmental stages, and various media and ICT utilization competency for teaching-learning, and prospective teachers showed lower implementation than importance in all competencies except teaching-learning material production competency required for classes. Fourth, the results of the analysis of teaching competency education needs showed that elementary school teachers demanded various media and ICT utilization competency for teaching-learning as their first priority, while elementary school teachers demanded learner-centered class environment design competency as their first priority. Conclusions Regarding elementary school teachers' teaching competencies, elementary school teachers and prospective teachers commonly recognized the importance of each competency, but showed differences in implementation. In addition, the analysis of educational needs for fostering teaching competencies revealed that education in conflicting areas was needed. This suggests implications for reorganizing elementary school teachers' teaching competencies, improving the curriculum of universities of education, and establishing a system to secure the linkage between prospective teacher training courses and elementary school teacher education.