The International Teaching Practicum (ITP) serves as a bridge to enhance the quality of pre-service student teachers, particularly in the context of 21st-century learning. It integrates multiculturalism and diversity, which are essential for engaging with real teaching contexts, self-confidence, cross-cultural awareness, and professional growth. The narrative inquiry design was employed to explore how three Indonesian PSTs perceived their teaching experiences during the ITP in Malaysia. The focus was on the development of basic teaching skills such as classroom management, questioning, reinforcement, and small group instruction, which were initially introduced through microteaching courses. This study also aims to understand how pre-service student teachers develop pedagogical competence through their ITP program experiences. The data were collected through two main instruments: semi-structured interviews and reflective journals. The findings revealed seven main themes: understanding learners’ characteristics, reinterpreting teaching and learning theories, adapting curriculum and lesson planning, enacting educative learning, supporting students’ learning potential, negotiating teacher-student communication, and developing assessment and evaluation. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the importance of reflection and contextual adaptation in teacher training, and it offers practical implications for institutions seeking to strengthen international practicum programs for English language education.
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