Readiness for Practice Teaching Among the Students of the College of Teacher Education
Practice teaching serves as the culminating field experience that enables pre-service teachers to apply pedagogical knowledge and develop essential teaching competencies in authentic classroom settings. Assessing students' readiness prior to internship is therefore necessary to identify areas requiring further enhancement. This study determined the readiness for practice teaching among students of the College of Teacher Education at Don Carlos Polytechnic College during the Academic Year 2025–2026. Specifically, it examined students' readiness in lesson planning, teaching strategies, and classroom management and determined whether significant differences existed according to program affiliation. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed involving 398 third-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEED) and Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd) students majoring in English, Filipino, Mathematics, and Science. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire that underwent content validation and pilot testing, yielding an overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.915. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilized for data analysis. The findings revealed that the respondents demonstrated a high level of readiness for practice teaching. Teaching strategies obtained the highest overall mean, followed by lesson planning, while classroom management received the lowest mean, although all dimensions were interpreted as either Highly Ready or Ready. Significant differences were likewise found in lesson planning, teaching strategies, and classroom management when respondents were grouped according to program affiliation. The study concludes that pre-service teachers possess adequate preparation for practice teaching; however, classroom management remains an area requiring further enhancement. The findings provide empirical evidence that can guide curriculum enhancement, strengthen field-based learning experiences, and support the development of intervention programs that further improve the professional readiness of future teachers.