What do you think about the proposed changes to teacher education courses at Australian universities? Do you think this shift in emphasis towards direct explicit instruction and classroom managment is the answer to Australia’s teacher shortage?
What do you think about the proposed changes to teacher education courses at Australian universities? Do you think this shift in emphasis towards direct explicit instruction and classroom managment is the answer to Australia’s teacher shortage?
I can only speak for the ITE programme I did, but I found that there was a big focus on how to research into issues and work out solutions for yourself – very much a “give them a fish, feed them for a day; teach them to fish, teach them for a lifetime” philosophy. After all, teaching is a complex environment that requires creative problem-solving, and what works in one context may not work well in another. So really, an ITE programme is going to be about giving new teachers a good theoretical foundation on which to build, and it is on-the-job where they will hone their teaching practice. Do our ITE programmes need to be overhauled? I think the one I personally attended was very good, but it seems others may have had a less positive experience.