An Investigation of Pre-Service English Teachers' Proficiency in Basic Teaching Skills During Classroom Practice

English teachers need basic teaching skills. This study examines how seven pre-service English teachers employ the eight core teaching skills. A qualitative study analyzed learning records from teaching practice assessments to explore how pre-service English teachers utilized these skills. It identified eight basic teaching techniques with varying levels of proficiency. First, explanation (93.88%), variation (92.06%), and small group and individual instruction (92.86%). Second, good skills include opening and closing lessons (75.51%), questioning (67.86%), and classroom management (78.57%). Finally, skills reinforcement (61.9%) and leading small group discussions (63.27%) are sufficient. The study indicates some pre-service English teachers need basic skills training.


Introduction
English language education is a vital component of many educational systems, and the quality of instruction provided to English language learners greatly affects their language learning outcomes. It is, therefore, crucial that English language teachers possess strong teaching skills to effectively engage students and facilitate their language learning. Pre-service teachers are those who are currently pursuing a degree in education and have not yet entered the teaching profession. These individuals are in the process of developing the knowledge and skills required to become effective teachers. It is essential that pre-service teachers receive adequate training and preparation in teaching skills to ensure that they are ready to teach when they enter the workforce. Furthermore, teaching practice or practicum is a crucial aspect of teacher education, as it provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively practice teaching in the future. This component allows prospective teachers to apply and integrate the theoretical knowledge they have acquired in their teaching education into practical teaching situations. Teaching practice is one of the most important and recognized components of student teacher Volume: 9 Nomor : 2 Bulan : Mei Tahun : 2023 Thirdly, the research from (Mabing, I. A, Thalib, & Husain, 2022), The Ability of Pre-service Teacher to Apply the Implementation Teaching Skill on 6th Semester of 2016. The aim of this study was to investigate how pre-service English teachers applied basic teaching skills during their teaching practice experience examination. Qualitative research methods were employed, and data were collected by analyzing videos of the teaching practice experience of five participants. The results showed that the application of basic teaching skills was generally effective, as the participants were able to utilize the four basic teaching skills well. However, there were some aspects of these skills that were not fully implemented during teaching. It is suggested that teachers and students work collaboratively to address these areas and improve their teaching skills.
Finally, the research from (Apling & Haryani, 2019), The analysis of microteaching in improving teaching skill of pre-service physics teachers. The goal of this research was to determine if microteaching was effective in improving the teaching skills of pre-service Physics teachers at Khairun Ternate University. The study used a qualitative descriptive method to analyze the effectiveness of microteaching. The sample consisted of 20 students from the 2016 class, and a rubric sheet was used to assess teaching skills. The results indicated that the implementation of microteaching improved opening and closing lesson skills, questioning skills, explaining skills, strengthening skills, classroom management skills, small group discussion skills, and individual skills of pre-service Physics teachers.

Method
The study uses a qualitative method to investigate pre-service English teachers' classroom proficiency in basic teaching abilities. Qualitative research focuses on natural events to better understand participants' experiences and viewpoints (Denzin & Lincoln, 2009). The study addresses eight basic teaching skills: opening and closing classes, questioning, explaining, variation, reinforcing, guiding small group discussion, classroom management, and teaching small groups and individuals. The researchers examined how pre-service English teachers practiced these skills. Seven pre-service English teachers in the seventh-semester English Department participated in Teaching Practice II in 2021-2022. These volunteers were chosen for the time they spent teaching English in Practice Teaching I and their preparedness to teach in Practice Teaching II.
The researchers used (Miles, Huberman, & Saldana, 2019)(2019) three-step data analysis process. Data reduction organizing and condensing collected data is the initial stage. Researchers then display the condensed data. Tables can show growing themes and patterns. Displaying data organizes and clarifies it. Conclusions are last. Researchers analyze condensed and displayed data to draw useful conclusions. They offer crucial results, patterns, and insights about pre-service English teachers' basic teaching skills throughout classroom practice.

Result and Discussion
The present section explains the outcomes of a research study that relied on qualitative data. The qualitative data was gathered through visual media, specifically videos, as well as observation sheets that included eight teaching skills and the different stages of the teaching and learning process, including pre-activity, main activity, and post-activity. The study's findings are used to discuss each element of the eight basic teaching skills, which include opening and closing lessons, questioning skills, explaining skills, variation skills, giving reinforcement skills, guiding small group discussion skills, classroom management skills, and teaching of small groups and individuals.

Result
The researcher evaluated the performance of pre-service English teachers on each basic teaching skill in the classroom, based on Guiding teaching practice UNG (2020) The assessment involved scoring each activity with 1 if it appeared and 0 if it did not appear. The results of the analysis of the seventh research participant, consisting of seven pre-service English teachers, referred to as participant 1, participant 2, participant 3, participant 4, participant 5, participant 6, and participant 7, were used to assess each component of the basic teaching skills. The process of teaching and learning is broken down into specific steps to make sure that the desired results are reached. After getting all of the data, each step of the analysis is checked again to come to a conclusion and confirm the data. In the last step, the results are put into a qualitative category and shown in a table as a percentage description. The table is located below. Once all the information has been gathered, it is analyzed by going back over each step of the process to make sure it is correct and reliable.

Open and Close Lesson
Pre-service English teachers must know how to open class. This study's seven participants (75.51%) did well at attracting students' attention and mentally preparing them for the upcoming topics. Some participants had trouble motivating, referencing, and linking. In the closing lesson, most participants did well in review and evaluation but struggled with psychological encouragement. These findings show that pre-service English teachers need basic teaching skills to engage and motivate students.

Questioning Skills
The next fundamental skill that the participants can excel in is questioning, and 67.86% of the participants performed well in this area. The questions were clear and correct because the participants, in turn, asked the students questions that were short and to the point. But most of them didn't get other students to answer questions with them, which made the class less interesting. Moreover, participants provided sufficient thinking time for students, which enhanced their thinking skills. They also employed classification questions that helped change the cognitive level of questions from personal, application, and analysis to evaluation. Nonetheless, equitable question distribution to all students was missing.

The Explaining Skills
The explaining skill was rated as "very good," with a percentage of 93.88%. All participants have implemented components such as accuracy of strategy with learning objectives, suitability of strategy in learning steps, orientation and motivation, and clear language. Participants used effective sentences and relevant examples to explain the subject matter. They also provided explanations that attracted students' attention, answered students' questions, and delivered the material Volume: 9 Nomor : 2 Bulan : Mei Tahun : 2023 according to the topic. However, some components of the explaining skill were not optimally implemented by participants, namely systematic explanation and variation in delivering material to some students.

Variation Skills
Participants performed well in the variation skill with a percentage of 92.06%, which is categorized as good. The components that were well implemented are voice projection, giving quiet time, facial expression, hand movement, and the teacher's position. All participants delivered the material in a clear and loud voice, used aids such as markers and discussion methods, and deliberately provided quiet time to attract students' attention. However, some participants did not optimally implement the component of directing students' attention in the learning steps by not focusing on student attention, and some components such as interaction pattern, accuracy of choosing media with learning objectives, and technical mastery of media use were not implemented optimally.

Reinforcement Skill
With a score of 61.90%, the reinforcement ability was deemed to have a "sufficient" level of proficiency. During the process of learning, some of the participants utilized verbal reinforcement by providing one another with words of praise and appreciation. On the other hand, non-verbal reinforcement and variation reinforcement were not implemented as effectively as they could have been by the participants.

Leading Small Group Discussions Skill
The ability to lead small group discussions was included in the enough category with a presentage of 63,27%. Participants have not implemented the component of leading small group discussions skill of concentration, clarifying the problem or opinion, analyzing student opinion, and improving student rankings optimally. Some participants were able to finish each component, such as spreading the opportunity, closing the discussion, and describing in detail. This is due to the participants clarifying or outlining the main topic of discussion, as well as creating a summary of the discussion and evaluation results process and discussion results.

Classroom Management Skill
Classroom management skill has been classified as very good, with a percentage of 78.57%. Participants have completed several components of this skill, including principles of use, maintaining optimal learning conditions, sharing attention, and concentration. By implementing effective strategies to manage students and teaching facilities, they have created a conducive environment for learning and achieved their educational goals. However, some participants have not implemented certain components, such as providing warnings and reinforcement, which may be areas for improvement.

Teaching Skill for Small Group and Individuals
Teaching skills for small groups and individuals have been deemed very good, with a percentage of 92.86 percent. Participants' personal approach to teaching has been exemplary, as they have demonstrated attentive listening to students' opinions and consistently asked questions that relate to their understanding. They have also excelled in planning and implementing learning activities, which has enabled them to guide communication interactions in both directions. However, one area that participants may need to work on is the optimal implementation of organizing, guiding, and facilitating learning, which could help further enhance their teaching effectiveness.

Discussion
In this section, the researchers discussed the implementation of the eight basic teaching skills by seven preservice English teachers based on the findings of their study. The results showed that the participants utilized all the elements of these fundamental techniques in their classroom instruction. This is consistent with Guidelines for UNG PLP (2020) book that a teacher needs to master the eight basic teaching skills in the learning process, including questioning, reinforcement, variation, explanation, opening and closing lessons, guiding small group discussions, classroom management, and individual teaching skills. Moreover, this is in line with the research findings of Apling and Haryani (2019), who stated that the implementation of microteaching improved the opening and closing lesson skills, questioning skills, explaining skills, strengthening skills, classroom management skills, small group discussion skills, and individual skills of pre -service Physics teachers.
Volume: 9 Nomor : 2 Bulan : Mei Tahun : 2023 However, out of the eight skills that a pre-service English. They said that teacher must master several components still need to be improved. This study is consistent with the findings of (Kansil & Fredy, 2017) research, which also focused on the teaching skills of teacher candidates and the assessment of Learning Implementation Plans (RPP). Their study found that some aspects of basic teaching skills were good, while others still needed further training. For example, there is a need to focus on even variation reinforcement and not just on certain students, and to give students positive responses to the material as it can develop their motivation to learn. Verbal and nonverbal reinforcement skills are part of a teacher's behavior modification of student behavior, which aims to provide information or feedback to recipients for their actions as encouragement or correction. In terms of leading small group discussions, the study found that this teaching skill needs to be developed, focusing on some of the students who are not participating in the group, ignoring teacher instructions or cautions and lack of attention and respect for the teacher One component that has been noted is that participants can arrange their seats properly in this small group discussion skill so that all group members can express their opinions and group discussions can improve student understanding, this agrees with what (Mabing, I. A, Thalib, & Husain, 2022) and (Qadri, Dollah, & Weda, 2022)discovered. Pre-service English teachers face various challenges in managing their classrooms during teaching practice. These challenges include difficulties in rearranging students' seating, students not following rules and routines, ignoring teacher instructions, no t paying attention or showing respect to the teacher, and having trouble controlling the class. To overcome these challenges, the research identifies seven strategies: being friendly, using a personal approach, being patient with students, creating agreements and rules, giving warnings to students, being assertive, and sometimes ignoring misbehaving students.
Nonetheless, it is important to acknowledge that certain teaching skills were effectively executed in the study. Firstly, all pre-service English teachers open the lesson clearly, precisely, and carefully in the open lesson. Secondly, questioning skills are centered on the material being taught when posing questions, and the pre-service English teacher allows students enough time to consider the answers to the questions posed. Thirdly, students with variation skills were observed to be skilled at changing their behavior, attitudes, and actions in the context of teaching and learning to overcome student boredom and increase students' interest in learning their lessons. Fourthly, explanation skills were almost perfectly executed to begin with in terms of explaining concepts and ideas clearly to students. All of the preceding statements imply that this is the result of (Astuti, Y. D & Drajati, 2022) research. During the teaching practicum, all participants became more aware of the importance of factors such as learning environments, teacher ability and creativity, time management, and classroom management in the teaching process. Teachers needed to develop not only their professionalism but also their skills, creativity, and understanding of students' needs.

Conclusions
Based on the findings of the research and discussions conducted for a study on the teaching skills of pre-service English teachers in the English Language Education Study Program, it can be concluded that this study has important implications for the field of teacher education and the development of pre-service English teachers' teaching skills. To improve the teaching skills of pre-service English teachers, it is recommended to enhance teacher education programs by providing practice opportunities for basic teaching skills. The integration of technology in teacher education and the provision of continued professional development opportunities are also crucial. Implementing these recommendations will better prepare pre-service English teachers, leading to improved English language instruction and their professional growth.