Teaching practice has always been at the heart of Malta’s teacher education programme. But whether we followed a student-worker scheme, which entailed teaching in schools for five-and-a-half months, or the three and six-week placements we have today, they have been characterised by one major feature – the lack of professional relationships.
Professional relationships would influence pre-service teacher success- Christopher Bezzina, Colin Calleja
We argue that there is need for a radical review of the current teaching practicum and call for new engagements and partnerships to be established between the Faculty of Education and schools. Professional relationships would influence pre-service teacher success and address not only short-term objectives but also long-term goals.
Pre-service teachers typically enter a school placement with enthusiasm to influence students’ lives, but they soon face psychological and social demands from students, school teachers, and University examiners in achallenging work environment.
The teaching practicum is the most stressful experience during teacher preparation.
Success in teaching is closely linked to the quality of key relationships that define pre-service teachers’ practicum. A sense of belonging and relatedness positively influence teachers’ engagement andcommitment to the profession.
Problems with key relationships can result in emotional and professional withdrawal. Any attempt to understand pre-service teachers’ practicum success and their overall well-being must include a study of their professional relationships.
However, in Malta, practically in all cases, when student-teachers move in, teachers withdraw for the whole teaching practice period.
There is limited or no contact between professional, mature teachers and student-teachers. University examiners visit student-teachers for between four to six times in the six-week practicum.
While most student-teachers do relatively well using this system we feel more needs to be done to enhance their experience beyond satisfying the immediate or short-term requirements of the programme to adequately prepare them for the real world of teaching.
The faculty needs to establish partnerships with schools and colleges so that it can start engaging at a new level with student-teachers. Faculty examiners and schools need to engage in a transformative learning cycle with pre-service teachers. To this end, here is what teacher-educators can do:
1. Help student-teachers build relationships. Teacher-educators can foster relationships with and among student-teachers by helping pre-service programmes create norms for classroom interactions, watching videos of one another teach, and sharing and analysing student-teachers’ work. Teacher-educators can also create opportunities for student-teachers to share challenges and celebrations during the practicum.
2. Access prior knowledge and beliefs. What do student-teachers already know and believe? Are they ready for change? If not, what will it take to get them there? Student-teachers should be asked these questions before teacher-educators present them with new information or ideas.
Disposition surveys, warm-up questions at the beginning of the academic year, reflective journals, and whole-class sharing can reveal how student-teachers approach ideas, concepts, challenges, and teaching practice. Educators can use this information to design learning experiences and choose instructional materials that reflect the student-teachers’ experiences.
Teacher-educators should review their programme annually in the light of what they expect of their student-teachers, confirming what they expect is realistically obtainable in school; the programme should adequately prepare student-teachers in the teaching domains, and address the various competences expected of them.
3. Directly teach and model skills. This can have a positive impact not only on student-teachers but also teacher-educators, school teachers and education officials. It is an opportunity to test both content and pedagogies.
Student-teachers need to see the type of instruction expected of them, and experience whatstudents experience.
We see a future where teacher-educators from the faculty engage with mentor-teachers to provide model lessons and strategies for student-teachers to use with students. It is unfair to expect student-teachers to practise a skill or an approach they have not seen or experienced in their programmes. Such a model may cause discomfort but the proposed link between the faculty and schools isdesperately needed.
We see a future where teacher-educators work alongside education officials and teachers to challenge existing syllabi, schemesof work, lesson plans, as they question what is, challenge the waywe do things, and become more analytical of practices.
4. Trying new skills. Learning about or experiencing strategies is not enough. Student-teachers need to try their newly learnt skills in safe settings, taking smallsteps in their classroomand sometimes approximating practice by teaching each other.
We see a future when methodology courses are run in school settings. Here student-teachers would be able to try out strategies in different scenarios, including a small group of peers, and focused coaching where university lecturers and mentors can provide instruction to student-teachers.
5. Promote critical reflection and discourse. Dialogue and reflection are important for processing thoughts. This is truefor students, student-teachers, and other adult learners. This type of meaning-making isat the heart of learner-centred, participatory learning.
Teacher-educators can build-in discourse through peer sharing, dialogue partners, tablegroups, journal partners, and discussion protocols.
Teacher-educators could keep a learning journal, respond to reflection prompts at the end of a class. More innovative methods of reflection using smartphones and video may be used.
We see a future where we focus on the motivational and emotional characteristics of pre-service teachers.
There are many other aspects of the teacher education programme that need to be reviewed. If these recommendations are taken seriously it would help address and eventually measure the following factors in pre-service teacher development: self-efficacy and stress, engagement, and commitment to the profession.
Such arguments will bring about transformation. Transformative learning will change the actions and perspectives of student-teachers.
By heightening awareness of their long-term influence, teacher-educators can embed transformative experiences in their own work with student-teachers that will allow new teachers to continue to reap benefits years down the road.
Prof. Bezzina and Mr Calleja are from the University’s Department of Education Studies and Department of Primary Education respectively.