ATTITUDE TOWARDS TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS IN A MULTI-GRADE CLASSROOM

The purpose of this descriptive correlational research is to investigate the attitudes and professional qualification of BEED students enrolled in teaching multi-grade classes. The results showed that the respondents had an agreeable attitude towards the teaching profession. The mean score of the responses on professional qualification was very high, indicating that prospective teachers have a good understanding of the skills and competencies required for effective teaching in a multi-grade classroom setting. However, there was a negative correlation between attitudes towards teaching profession and professional qualification, which was not significant. The study highlighted the need for teacher education programs to provide more practical training opportunities and relevant curricula to enhance the professional competence of prospective teachers. The results also emphasized the importance of considering age and teaching experience when tailoring training programs to better address the needs of different groups of prospective teachers. Further research with a larger and more diverse group of participants is necessary to better understand the complex relationship between attitudes towards teaching profession and professional qualification. KEYWORDS: pre-service teachers, professional qualification, teaching multi-grade classes, teaching profession