Bridging theory and practice in teacher education: teaching schools – a bridge too far?
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Date
2015
Authors
Gravett, Sarah
Ramsaroop, Sarita
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
The study reported on in this article stems from the Integrated Strategic Planning
Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa (2011). This
framework proposes the establishment of teaching schools to strengthen teacher
education. This article reports on a qualitative inquiry into the views of school-based
personnel and the teacher education sector on the implementation of teaching schools
as sites for teacher education and whether they think teaching schools could enhance
the education of student-teachers. The inquiry showed that the participants were
positive that teaching schools will enhance teacher education through serving as a
bridge between the academic, university-based preparation of student-teachers and
the practice demands of the teaching profession. However, they had no clear notion
of how such schools could add value to teacher preparation differentiated to schools
in which student-teachers are placed for work-integrated learning. We contend that,
prior to establishing teaching schools, much deliberation between all stakeholders
is required about the purpose and means of integrating teaching schools in teacher
education. If not, teaching schools that serve to bridge the gap between the education
of student-teachers at universities and the demands that novice teachers face once
they enter the teaching profession might remain an elusive ideal.
Description
Keywords
Tteacher education, Training school, Teaching school, Finnish education, Work-integrated learning, School practicum, Theory-practice divide
Citation
Gravett, S., & Ramsaroop, S. (2015). Bridging theory and practice in teacher education: teaching schools-a bridge too far?. Perspectives in Education, 33(1), 131-146.