• An overly sociocultural philosophy of teaching,
• Insufficient focus on the science of learning,
• Too little practical classroom experience for teachers-in-training,
• Inconsistency in the quality of mentoring for teachers in training,
• No rigorous assessment of new teachers for classroom readiness,
• Poor preparation of primary teachers to teach across the curriculum, especially in mathematics and science.
At the heart of these deficiencies lie the Standards for the Teaching Profession. All teachers must be assessed as meeting these standards to be able to practice lawfully. Teacher education programmes must put their graduates on track to meet the Standards after two years of classroom practice. In this way, they are influential on teacher education.
Click to read or download
Dr Michael Johnston has held academic positions at Victoria University of Wellington for the past ten years. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Melbourne.
Stephanie Martin has a Masters degree in Ancient History and has completed a Masters of Teaching (Primary). This article was published HERE
• Insufficient focus on the science of learning,
• Too little practical classroom experience for teachers-in-training,
• Inconsistency in the quality of mentoring for teachers in training,
• No rigorous assessment of new teachers for classroom readiness,
• Poor preparation of primary teachers to teach across the curriculum, especially in mathematics and science.
At the heart of these deficiencies lie the Standards for the Teaching Profession. All teachers must be assessed as meeting these standards to be able to practice lawfully. Teacher education programmes must put their graduates on track to meet the Standards after two years of classroom practice. In this way, they are influential on teacher education.
Click to read or download
Dr Michael Johnston has held academic positions at Victoria University of Wellington for the past ten years. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Melbourne.
Stephanie Martin has a Masters degree in Ancient History and has completed a Masters of Teaching (Primary). This article was published HERE
4 comments:
This is a very good resource for anyone interested in the issue of teacher training in NZ - comprehensive and thorough.
In would perhaps have made more of the differences between primary and secondary schooling and teacher training. I regard primary and secondary teaching as different professions peopled by very different practitioners.
The list of criteria should include a specific defined curriculum accompanied by examples of what must be taught at each level, and specific textbooks.
There is nothing in the subjects at primary level which requires a high level of education. Many individuals could handle a clear syllabus with clear books. The Min of Ed should dig out syllabus and books from the 1920s. Having a huge mix of ability in each class is a huge challenge for teachers. In the past pupils were failed to their level. This aligned with the real world and meant they were not faced with bewildering work thus encouraging truancy. In the 1950s teachers were recruited from adults and many succeeded despite no former tertiary education.. A huge disincentive today facing objective types likely to make good teachers, and esp of maths and science, is the prospect of endless pro maori twaddle, having to feign enthusiasm for, and sit through hours of tedious powhiri, addresses in te reo, other waffly speeches, kapahaka, stone age haka, etc and pander to flawed parents.
The ultra pro maori obsessed leftie Teaching Council seems a major obstacle.
I agree with Robert that quality practical class texts ( not computerized*) need to be available to trainee teachers so they can learn the craft. My area of teaching was science and maths but I later taught primary arithmetic and reading. *Sweden has recently returned to texts in preference to computers.
While attending Secondary Teachers' College in the 1970s we learned how to write, under the guidance of competent teacher -tutors, highly structured spiral lesson plans based on very detailed department syllabuses. We were filmed teaching a class then critiqued by the other students as well as going on section.There was little theory. I also taught in a similar style to how I, myself had been taught modelling quality teachers from an earlier era of the 1960s when NZ education was world class.
However out in the field it was the class texts written by thoroughly experienced teachers that gave excellent guidelines for conducting successful lessons and also provided quality exercises for students. These texts included worked examples, some theory, graded exercises revision,consolidation and reinforcement essential for mastery.
It seems that in teaching trainee teachers the basic substance of what they should teach is below the dignity of universities, but was standard fare from Training Colleges. The theoretical refinemnts of technique to attempt to be incluisve of all (all IQs, races, attitudes, dyslectic, handicapped) is a skill better developed after the basic couse content has been delivered to the pupls, not before. Otherwise just become more or less skilled at delivering nothing useful.
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