Abstract
Teaching internship constitutes a critical component of teacher education, serving as a bridge between theoretical preparation and classroom practice. In the context of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes experiential and competency-based teacher education, examining the effectiveness of internship programmes has become increasingly important. The present study aimed to examine B.Ed. students’ internship experiences, specifically focusing on how theoretical knowledge acquired in the B.Ed. classroom is implemented during the teaching internship, identifying the challenges encountered in the practical application of this knowledge and eliciting suggestions to address these challenges. A descriptive survey research design was adopted and data were collected from 30 B.Ed. Semester III students of Tezpur University, Assam, using a self-developed, validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistical techniques, including frequency, percentage and standard deviation, were used for data analysis. The results indicate that the internship was largely perceived as transformative (46.6%), rewarding (43.3%) and motivating (36.6%), reflecting notable professional growth among B.Ed. students. However, the direct applicability of B.Ed. coursework to classroom teaching was perceived as limited, with 46.7% remaining neutral and 30.0% disagreeing, while only 23.3% agreed. Key challenges reported during the internship included time management, classroom management, student engagement and the translation of theory into practice. The study underscores the importance of structured mentoring, reflective practice, strengthened digital pedagogy training and improved college–school coordination. The findings have important implications for enhancing internship design in alignment with NEP 2020 to prepare competent, reflective and future-ready teachers.
Keywords: B.Ed. Programme; NEP 2020; Professional Preparedness; Teaching Internship; Theory–Practice Integration.