Q.1 Discuss the instructional
responsibilities of a teacher. Highlight the role of teacher as 'Nation
Builder".
Teachers have a great deal of responsibility to maintain their classrooms with a balance of firmness and
compassion. There are wide range of tasks and duties that a teacher has to perform in order to conduct a lesson successfully. Learning about these roles can help you identify what teaching methods and practices best fit the needs of your own classroom. In this article, we discuss a teacher's responsibilities, review the seven roles of a teacher, examine eight of their most important responsibilities and explore what skills they need to succeed in their positions.Let employers find you when you create an Indeed
Resume
What are a teacher's responsibilities?
Teacher responsibilities can include preparing
lectures, lessons and coursework to educate their students about a specific
subject or topic. Teachers can work at all academic and age levels, from
children to adults. They also gain employment at many institutions like
schools, government agencies, community centres, client's homes and research
facilities.
The responsibilities and duties of a teacher are
likely to vary depending on the focus of their classes, but most of them
perform general tasks like assigning readings and homework, grading projects
and tests, and documenting academic and learning progress. It's a teacher's
responsibility to communicate well with their students and provide lessons that
are engaging and well-structured.
The 7 roles of a teacher
There are seven important roles to being a teacher,
including:
1. The Controller
As the controller, the teacher manages the classroom,
decides what the students do and determines what the overall etiquette is. It's
important for this teacher to assume the role of authority figure, and by
showing respect to their students, their students should return respect back to
the teacher and their peers. In this type of class dynamic, the teacher is the
centre of their student's ability to make meaningful connections and gain
invaluable knowledge. It's important to find the perfect balance between
authority and involvement in this role, so students feel comfortable enough to
participate.
2. The Prompter
As the prompter, a teacher gives their students more
autonomy on how to take action with their work. If a student shows confusion or
has doubts, this type of teacher encourages them to try and solve their
problems in a constructive manner. Instead of using a strict method of
teaching, the teacher may simply prompt their students on what to do and how to
do it. They serve as more of a coach or guide to their students during the
learning and educational process. If the prompter gives their students an
assignment, they may only assist them when necessary.
3. The Resource
As the resource, a teacher functions much like that of
a library. What this means is that the teacher makes themselves readily
available in case their students need help, but allows the students to complete
most of their work individually. In this kind of teaching role, the teacher may
request that their students partake in extracurriculars, seminars and other classes.
When their students are uncertain about a particular issue, the resource uses
their expansive knowledge to provide reassuring information to their students
about a specific topic or subject.
4. The Assessor
As the assessor, a teacher determines how their
students are doing or they may want to assess if their performance has
improved. In this role, the teacher may seek to provide feedback to their
students and provide organised correction in case there are performance and
academic mistakes. There are many ways that a teacher can assess the progress
of their students and help them grow as individual learners. However, it's
important for assessors to communicate to their students with compassion,
encouragement and support. The primary goal is to improve the student's
self-worth and confidence in their learning capabilities.
5. The Delegator
As the delegator, a teacher delegates the
responsibilities to their students and oversees how well their class and
students are functioning. This type of teacher doesn't demonstrate high
involvement, but they aren't less involved either. They simply provide their
students with ownership over their actions. Delegators primarily appear when
students are learning in group projects, activities or interactive class discussions.
This type of role is most effective in a class that teaches a subject that
focuses on team assignments or lab activities.
6. The Participant
As the participant, a teacher improves the environment
of their classroom when they participate in activities with their students.
This kind of teacher should be mindful of not becoming too involved so that
their students can learn how to perform the activity successfully on their own.
A participant understands how to encourage and engage their students so they become
more enthusiastic about actively learning the material. If the teacher can
balance interaction with supervision, then it can serve as an effective method
for teaching students how to take initiative.
7. The Tutor
As the tutor, a teacher takes on a coaching role when
students work on projects or need to study alone. This type of teacher may act
as a mentor by providing their students with guidance or advice when they need
help understanding an idea or getting their assignments completed. Taking on
the tutor role is efficient at offering individual instruction and attention to
students who may struggle to keep up with their peers.
It also helps the teacher to create a curriculum or
assignments that align with their students' academic needs. A tutor type teacher
has to make certain their student doesn't become too dependent on them for
help.
8 essential teacher responsibilities
Here are eight important responsibilities to perform
as a good teacher:
1. Creating lesson plans
The lesson plans teachers create help students learn
useful information and expand their knowledge. Make certain to organise lesson
plans and make them engaging for the students. A balance of independent and
collaborative coursework is ideal since students learn how to work alone and
with teammates.
2. Supervising students
Supervising students helps a teacher to understand
their specific needs and adjust their teaching style accordingly. It's
important for keeping students focused on their work and minimising their
distractions. An essential element of supervising is to avoid micromanaging so
students gain some level of autonomy to work without constant supervision.
3. Providing guidance
When a student needs help, it's the teacher's
responsibility to provide them with help and guidance. A teacher should direct
their students towards a positive objective and offer them meaningful advice.
4. Forming connections
Teachers should try to form connections with their
students, as this demonstrates that the teacher cares about their wellbeing and
academic success. Students are usually more receptive to teachers who can show
that they understand their concerns. Healthy connections can improve a
student's drive to succeed.
5. Grading work and assignments
Grading work is an essential responsibility for a teacher.
This should be a fair process that encourages students to do better. It is also
an opportunity to show students how they can improve on their mistakes.
6. Maintaining a positive environment
A positive learning environment is important for
students who need to obtain knowledge. Making the space fun and engaging can
help students feel safe to speak their minds and share their ideas. It's
important to let students know their opinions are valid.
7. Encouraging independent thinking
Teachers should strive to inspire their students to be
independent thinkers. This allows them to absorb information and come to their
own conclusions and ideas. When a student feels encouraged to think
independently, they are more likely to take the initiative and seek answers on
their own.
8. Encouraging teamwork
Teamwork is an essential part of learning and a
teacher should demonstrate why collaborating with their peers is so important.
Teamwork can help students to complete their assignments more efficiently and
in a timely manner. The more they work with others, the more comfortable they
become completing group projects and other collaborative work.
The Role of Teachers as Nation Builders
A teacher plays a significant role in building the
nation. He influences a child and brings him up as a talented person. There is
an important role of teacher for brightening up the future of the country
through the process of education. It is the teacher who puts all the youth on
to the path of progress. The talented youth are the future of the nation. The
good schooling with worthy teachers phenomenalizes the career of the students
that helps in rising them rise and become the true citizens of the country.
The child starts developing mentally as well as
physically only after going to school. He watches the activities of his teacher
and follows them. The teacher organizes many activities in the school like
prayer, physical training, music, dance, debate, lectures, arts and crafts,
variety show, cultural programmes, writing and other competitions, sports and
so on. These activities influence the child in the real sense which helps in
building up his personality. It is the teacher who shows dreams to a child for
his bright future.
Military activities are very important for a youth
which a teacher executes through NCC. It keeps the students mentally alert and
physically fit. There are so many adventurous activities which are facilitated
to the students through NCC. Horse riding, para jumping, swimming, crossing of
obstacles, wall climbing, rope crawling, warfare activities and firing with
modernized weapons are a few examples which make a youth capable and bold for
performing the work in an enterprising manner. All the activities during
military training set example of discipline, punctuality, dress, comradeship,
good behaviour and so on. These influence the students and give positive impact
in their minds.
The teacher treats all the students like his own
children. He rewards the students for good work and at the same time he
punishes for faults with an intention of improving the students.
Those who invented new things for the mankind were the
students of yesterday. We are enjoying life due to their inventions. There
would surely have been the role and contribution of teacher in educating,
guiding and making them comfortable in research work right from beginning which
would have facilitated them in emerging as renowned inventors. Similarly, a
teacher develops a child and makes him capable through his teaching ability to
work in other fields. It is the teacher who makes a student capable up to that
extent that he can do better for the nation and mankind.
A child may be in nursery classes or he may be doing
higher studies, there is an important and constructive role of a teacher
towards a child. A teacher takes interest in teaching the students from their
basic to higher education with the dreams that his students would do the best
in their life. There are many teachers who possess extraordinary talent. They
are assets of the nation. People follow them and succeed in their lives. A
professor of a technical institute and an instructor of research organisation
have a big role in producing capable engineers, technicians and scientists who
meet the requirement of modern time, not only of the country, but of the whole
world. It is a virtual effect of our good education that 40% software
professionals, 15% engineers, 5% doctors, 10% management qualified persons and
many good scientists are working outside the country and brightening the name
of the nation.
Q.2 Explain the Quranic concept of Teacher
Education. According to Islamic perspective which methods of teaching should be
used?
Quranic concept of education is that it explicitly
teaches its readers principles in each and every sphere of life so that its
followers have complete knowledge about their pattern of life. Teachers are
considered the most honored person in every religion
ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF TEACHER EDUCATION.
It was created in perfect. The world according to
Islam is not the work of chance. Prior to 2002 the majority of teachers and
educational staff in Iran received qualifications from the Ministry of
Educations Higher In-Service Education Center.
Teachers bear the responsibility of molding student’s
personalities and educating them. Islam is one of the revealed religions in the
world it has its own philosophy in educating people in different fields as the
means of building the kingdom of God Allah on earth. Since 2002 universities
and higher education institutes have offered in-service long-term degree
programs.
All the Muslims who are. It is therefore imperative
that teachers be prepared for the challenges presented by these movements.
There are three technique in collecting data.
It includes all the functions of memory imagination
reasoning observation intuition apprehension and so on. 2 The Concept of
Education in Islam of secularization of ideas that coursed through the history
of Western thought since the periods of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Islamic
conception of education teaches us to be the master of.
As God is divined and he loves all the goodness man
should be good too. Islamic education is often erroneously perceived as
education on religious matters whereas in fact Islamic education based on the
Quran and Sunnah provides a rich reservoir of knowledge in. The base concept of
mathematics is one of the subject courses of elementary school teacher
education.
The aims and objectives of Islamic education basically
are. This research used qualitative approach. Due to the important role of
teachers Islam has granted high status and rights to teachers.
Essay on the Concept of Islamic System of Education.
The Concept of Education in Islam The concept of education in Islam can be
divided into its purpose and its meaning. The purpose of this research is to
determine.
To provide experiences which are based on fundamentals
of Islam as embodied in Holy Quran and Sunnah which cannot be changed.
Basically Islamic Education Teachers teach not only in charge of the subject
matter but also burdened with the responsibility to build learners who have
knowledge morals have identity strong character and has a life skills guidance
in accordance. In Islamic jurisprudence no one can become Faqih Jurist without
sound intellectual background.
No matter which one of the stated concepts is
preferable to scholars it should not be used as a pretext for controversy and
intellectual acrimony among scholars because what does it matter is not the
concept but the. To provide experiences in the form of knowledge and skills
with clear understanding that these experiences are. The concept of education
in Islam must take into consideration of all the dimensions of teaching and
learning activities that reflect the above concepts oftarbiyyah talīm and
tadīb.
The Islamic concept of teaching and learning is not
limited to the memorization of Al- Quran and religious studies by Muslim
scholars. Man has the capacity to understand the ideational relation between
the two orders of reality. Observation documentation and interview.
Islamic concept of knowledge objectives of education
curriculum teaching methodology evaluation teacher-student relationship
education travels women education and the role of Masjid mosque are a queer
pronged manifestation of these determinants spotted and seen in every Muslim
society. Al-Attas 1991 referred man as the. Teacher Education Specific to
Mathematics and Science.
Whether someone is a scientist a ruler a leader or a
jurist knowledge is the basic requirement for these positions. In general the
purpose of education is to serve only to God Abdullah 19891. On this point many
Muslim scholars Hadi 1979.
Ibn Khaldun a classical Muslim philosopher and
sociologist recognized that Muslim children learn through imitation of a
teacher and personal contact with him It would be fair to say that there is a
similar concept in liberal societies where parents would generally prefer their
children being taught by a teacher who holds good morals and adheres to ethical
values. The teacher is in the ideal position of passing on societys cherished
values. Internalization of islamic values must also be carried out in the
delivery of this course to achieve the vision and mission of islamic academic
culture.
To provide the teachings of Holy Quran as the primary
source of education. In the light of this we can say that shabe Suffah has the
privilege of being the first Teacher Educatorof Islam and Suffah is first
Islamic Residential University. Islamic educations teacher in developing Ceria
concept and how the Ceria concept implemented by the students.
Islamic methods of teaching
Education
by setting an example
Allah said: O you who
have believed, why do you say what you do not do. Greatly hateful in the sight
of Allah is that you say what you do not do. Quran Suarh As-Saff 61: 2-3
The Prophet never
preached anything that he himself does not perform and he taught all Muslims to
do the same in obedience to the above Qur’anic ayah (i.e. verse) and many
others as well. To recognize the importance of this method, we can cite one
example from the Hudaibiyah Treaty: When the writing of the peace treaty was
concluded, Allah’s Apostle said to his companions, ‘Get up and slaughter your
sacrifices and get your head shaved.’ None of them got up, and the Prophet
repeated his order thrice.
When none of them got
up, he left them and went to Um Salamah and told her of the people’s attitudes
towards him. Um Salamah said, ‘O the Prophet of Allah! Do you want your order
to be carried out? Go out and don't say a word to anybody till you have
slaughtered your sacrifice and call your barber to shave your head.’ So, the
Prophet went out and did not talk to anyone of them till he did that, i.e.
slaughtered the sacrifice and called his barber who shaved his head. Seeing
that, the companions of the Prophet got up, slaughtered their sacrifices, and
started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there
was a danger of killing each other.” (Al-Bukhari)
Education
through Questions and Answers
This can be attested to
by recalling the famous hadith in which the Archangel Jibril came to the
Prophet asking him about faith, Islam, ihsan (i.e., perfection), and the Hour;
the Prophet answered him in full detail and further commented that the
questioner was Jibril who came to teach the Companions – using this method in
cooperation with the Prophet – the matters of their religion. Sahih Al bukhari Vol1:8
and Sahih Muslim Vol 1:8
Giving
speeches and sermons
The Prophet used to
constantly and regularly offer the Friday Sermon (khutbat al-Jumu`ah) in which
he admonished the Companions and taught them about their religion. He earnestly
addressed the needs of the then emerging Muslim community and the issues that
would appear to them in their daily lives. He also paid great attention to the
purification of their souls and getting their hearts attached to the hereafter.
Giving
talks or sermons every now and then
The Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) used to give short talks every now and then in a way to
draw the attention of Muslims to something important, or ward off something
heinous. He did not do that regularly as he did not like to bore them by
stuffing their minds with sermons and talks. The Companions themselves used to
emulate this method of da`wah with their invitees as reported by Shaqiq who
said:
We were sitting at the
door of `Abdullah (ibn Mas`ud) waiting for him (to come out and deliver a
sermon to us). It was at this time that there happened to pass by us Yazid ibn
Mu`awiyah an-Nakha`i. We said: Inform him (`Abdullah ib. Mas`ud) of our
presence here. He went in and `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud lost no time in coming out
to us and said: I was informed of your presence here but nothing hindered me to
come out to you but the fact that I did not like to bore you as Allah’s
Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not deliver us sermon on
certain days fearing that it might prove to be boring for us. Sahih Muslim 2821
Q.3 critically analyze the role of
pre-service and in-service training in the professional development of a
teacher.
Professional
development for teachers refers to the learning opportunities of teachers that
aid them in improving their teaching methods, acknowledge their strengths and
weaknesses, and work on improving them so that they can become better
professionally.
There are two
phases of professional development for teachers which include the pre-service
phase and the in-service phase. The pre-service phase of professional
development occurs before the individuals get employed and become professional
while the in-service phase occurs after the individual gets employed and
becomes a professional teacher.
Pre-service
Phase of Professional Development
The pre-service
phase of professional development includes the following:
Base
Knowledge
In this phase,
individuals gain basic knowledge about teaching and the principles that guide
the profession.
Theoretical
Knowledge
Individuals gain
more theoretical knowledge in this phase than practical knowledge as opposed to
the in-service phase.
Technical
Skills
In this phase,
potential teachers learn how to use various technical skills such as computers,
creating spreadsheets, presentations, and the like.
Psychology
In this phase,
potential teachers have to touch on psychology to understand the cognitive
functioning of children.
Lesson Plan
In the
pre-service, potential teachers also train on how to create lesson plans so
that they can be fully prepared for the topic they have to teach.
In-service
Phase of Professional Development
The in-service
phase of professional development includes the following:
Interpersonal
Skills
Interpersonal
skills to communicate effectively not only with learners but with other
teachers and staff are necessary. Training in improving one’s interpersonal
skills is therefore necessary and this can be achieved through in-service
professional development.
Professional
Certification
These days, it
is mandatory for teachers to hold a professional certification of teacher
training so that they can be eligible to practice the profession and be more
aware of the things they need to consider when teaching. Professional
development, hence, allows teachers to obtain professional certifications.
Leadership
Skills
Having
leadership skills is extremely necessary for teachers because they must be able
to have a command over the class. Professional development enhances the
leadership skills of teachers.
Class
Management Skills
Professional
development enables them to manage the classroom more efficiently through
training and activities that train them to manage a huge group of people.
Communication
Skills
Teachers must
communicate frequently to teach their subject effectively but it is equally important
to interact with students and ensure they are understanding what is being
taught. For this, a teacher should have good communication skills and
professional development can improve their communication skills.
Teaching is a
profession that yields other professions and therefore, it is extremely
necessary for teachers to be good at their profession and go through
professional development.
Q.4 Discuss the prevailing structure of
Teacher Education in the country. What measures should be taken for its improvement?
The present structure of teacher education
can be explained by the concept of training on which it is based. Although the
college themselves may perceive their functions differently. The concept of
skill predominates is that of a basic training. Most teachers undergo a period
of full time training at the beginning of their career. Further training
depends on their personal efforts and experience in the school.
The structure related to basic training
incorporates concurrent training this is often used to describe the
interspersing of school practice within the local courses. In the basic
courses, the academic and professional aspects develop side by side. This is
justified by the beliefs that study in depth forms an essential part of the
personal education of teachers.
The consequence of a structure develop to
concurrent training is the familiar division between academic and professional
education departments. It is sometimes further differentiated by similar
divisions within the education department. Both ideas are ambivalent about the
demands made on institution/colleges by the periods of teaching practice that
characterized the concurrent courses. The effect of the present situation is
reflected in the B.Ed. courses.
The present structure revolves around
the concept of common courses. The completion of which offers qualified
teacher. In practice the commitment to the achieved training is very less. The
current structure and concept of training appear to be less influential. A
phase system of training with a shorter initial period could make a
considerable impact.
The existing system of salary scale
obscures the real complexity of the teaching profession. Structural changes
could improve opportunities for research and innovation and other change that
has important implications for the structure of teacher education.
National
Education Policy 1998-2010:
Introduction:
All education commissions sport and policies
in Pakistan have advances series of recommendations to reform the education and
examination system during the last fifty years. Quiet a good number of
international experts have also visited the country and made in-depth analysis
of the system. These experts have presented critical analysis of the maladies
created by the retrogressive. Education system and offered suggestions of far
reaching significance, unfortunately the problem is so inextricably riveted to
the unstable political conditions of the country and the authoritarian, non-participatory
cultural attitudes that any objective investigator would find that only
marginal adjustments have been injected in the system introduced during the
colonial period at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the 2000.
This is happening inspite of the fact that the country now has a good number of
experts who have received advanced training in the discipline form developed
countries of the world and are certainly in a position to immensely contribute
towards the improvements of the systems.
Salient
Features of National Education Policy
Nazira Qur'an will be introduced as a
compulsory component from grade I-VIII while at secondary level translation of
the selected verses from the Holy Qur'an will be offered. To evolve an
integrated system of national education by bringing Deeni Madaris and modern
schools closer to each stream in curriculum and the contents of
education. to educate and train them as a true practicing
Muslim. Education and training should enable the citizens of Pakistan to
lead their lives according to the teachings of Islam as laid down in the Qur'an
and Sunnah Aims and objectives of Education and Islamic Education: Salient
Features of National Education Policy 1998-2010
Literacy and
Non Formal Education. :
Functional literacy will be imparted to
adolescents (10-14) who missed out the chance of primary education. Functional
literacy and income generation skills will be provided to rural women of 15 to
25 age group and basic educational facilities will be provided to working
children. The current literacy rate of about 39% will be raised to 55%
during the first five years of the policy and 70% by the year 2010 Eradication
of illiteracy through formal and informal means for expansion of basic
education through involvement of community.
Elementary
Education:
Integration of primary and middle level
education in to elementary education (I-VIII).ü Quality of primary
education will be improved through revising curricula, imparting in-service
training to the teachers, raising entry qualifications for teachers from matriculation
to intermediate, revising teacher training curricula, improving management and
supervision system and reforming the existing examination and assessment
system. About 90% of the children in the age group (5-9) will be enrolled
in schools by year 2002-03.
Higher
Education:
At the minimum, 100 scholars shall be
annually trained under this arrangement. Local M.Phil. And Ph.D programs shall
be launched and laboratory and library facilities will be strengthened. To
attract highly talented qualified teachers, the university staff will be paid
at higher rates than usual grades. Merits shall be the only criterion for
entry into higher education. Access to higher education, therefore, shall be
based on entrance tests. Access to higher education shall be
expanded to at least 5% of the age group 17-23 by the year 2010. Higher Education:
Library and
Documentation Services.
Encouraging private investment in education.
There shall be regulatory bodies at the national and provincial levels to
regulate activities and smooth functioning of privately-managed schools and
institutions of higher education through proper rules and regulations. Private
Sector in Education : Mobile library services for semi-urban and
remote rural areas shall be introduced. Internet connection with computer
shall be given to each library. School, college and university libraries
shall be equipped with the latest reading materials/services.
Q.5 Explicate the concept of Student
(Practice) Teaching by focusing at the sequential steps of pre-service training.
Pre-service
teacher preparation programmes, also called initial teacher training or initial
teacher education, vary greatly across countries. The structure, coursework,
and field experiences of pre-service programmes are important to consider when designing
or reforming teacher training because they all contribute to the level of
preparation. High-quality teachers need high-quality training, but many
countries may need to consider cost-effectiveness in deciding on the specific
combination of pre-service and in-service training experiences needed in order
to deploy enough teachers for growing education systems.
Issues and Discussion
Pre-service
training programme structures: Pre-service programmes may be conducted as part
of a secondary school diploma course, on higher education campuses, in other
schools through school partnership programmes, or through online and other
forms of distance education. It is necessary to consider the local context and
national needs in determining which types of programmes are most
appropriate.(4) For example, Pakistan used distance training via radio,
television, and correspondence beginning in the 1970s to achieve a rapid
increase in the number of trained primary school teachers
whereas
the Accelerated Learning Program in Brazil trains new teachers by requiring
them to follow a highly structured curriculum that they implement directly in
primary schools.(12) In addition to these context-dependent variations in
structure, the length of pre-service training and the qualifications necessary
to join the teaching profession may vary both within and across countries. In
some countries the required qualifications are higher for secondary teachers
than for primary teachers, while in other countries they are the same. The
required qualifications might include: certificate, diploma, degree, or
master’s degree.(4) However, an analysis of PISA results suggests that a
bachelor’s degree is the minimum qualification for achieving the highest
student performance.(17) The quality of pre-service preparation is more
dependent on the programme’s structure and support than on the duration.(5)
However, graduates of short duration programs (e.g., 2-10 weeks) will likely
need substantially more in-service support than graduates of long duration programs
(e.g., 2-5 years).(9)
Coursework:
Teachers’ knowledge of the subject(s) they teach is often correlated with their
students’ achievement scores. Recent evidence from South Africa, for example,
suggests students’ scores increase considerably when taught by teachers with
higher knowledge of the subject.(19) It is therefore vital for pre-service
teachers to develop deep knowledge of their content area. Courses about
pedagogy are also vital. These courses are most effective when teacher
educators demonstrate and implement varied pedagogical approaches in the
courses, rather than merely lecture about pedagogy, which is common in many
countries.(6)(11) Other important topics to be covered in pre-service teacher
preparation include: classroom management, learning issues and special needs,
assessment practices, and the use of technology in education. It is also vital
for teachers to develop academic content-related fluency in the language of
instruction.(7)(14) Singapore’s National Institute of Education goes beyond
these considerations by emphasizing that the development of teachers’ knowledge
and skills needs to wrap around a “central pillar” of three core ensembles of teacher values,
focused respectively on the relationship with the learner, on teacher identity,
and on service to the profession and community.
Pedagogical
content knowledge: Research about the balance of content and pedagogy
coursework in teacher education is inconclusive. Yet, the best pre-service
programmes emphasize pedagogical content knowledge, which
focuses on the question of “how to organize and present the content in a way
that makes it accessible for increasingly diverse groups of learners.”
Programmes build pedagogical content knowledge by giving detailed consideration
to the question of how to teach a specific subject at a specific level—such as
how to teach reading and language arts in early primary school or how to teach
algebra and geometry in lower secondary school—in addition to reinforcing basic
content knowledge and general pedagogical skills.(
Field
Experiences: Field experiences such as internships and periods of teaching
practice require pre-service teachers to observe and practice teaching in
actual classrooms. The quality of field experiences varies greatly and depends
on their structure, duration, sequence, and supervision by teacher educators.
The duration of field experience in different programs varies from as little as
nine weeks to as many as nine months or more. Some programmes have only one
field experience while other have multiple. Research suggests that more
experience in classrooms is better, although if only a short field experience is
feasible, it may be supplemented by giving more support and guidance to new
teachers. In some of the best programmes pre-service teachers spend earlier
experiences primarily observing expert teachers and the remainder practicing
how to teach. In addition, cohort models may provide the best support for
pre-service teachers during teaching practice conducted in rural areas. If
field experiences only occur after or at the end of training, there are minimal
opportunities for guidance and feedback about the teacher’s practice. It is
therefore important for field experiences to occur early and throughout the
pre-service training in an integrated manner that compliments other courses.
Teacher
Educators/Trainers: In some countries, teacher educators/trainers have little
or no previous experience working as a teacher or supervising teachers. In
addition, they often receive no induction or professional development
programmes to ensure the quality of their instruction in the pre-service. These
realities influence the quality of the courses in pre-service programmes, but
strong support networks and training programmes for teacher educators/trainers
themselves can significantly improve the overall quality of pre-service teacher
training.
Inclusiveness and Equity
Teaching
in large, multi-level, and under-resourced classes: Teachers are more likely to
feel confident and prepared to teach in large and under-resourced classes if
they have training modules or courses on effective teaching methods for such
contexts, such as using small groups and student pairs to enhance
learning.(1)(3) In addition, some rural areas have multi-level classrooms due
to low population density. Pre-service teachers who may teach in these schools
should have training on how to adapt lesson plans for students of different
ability levels, including how to develop materials for independent study that
engage learners.(1)
Teaching
students with disabilities: Pre-service teacher preparation programmes in many
countries lack a strong focus on how to diagnose and accommodate learning
disabilities. Those that do address these issues, however, achieve better
results nationally.
The
present intervention study took place in the context of single-phase teacher
education programs preparing STs for secondary I level (grade 7 through 9) in
the German speaking part of Switzerland. Within these programs, STs must
complete at least two practical phases (several weeks each) in cooperating
schools where they are assisted by a CT. During this time STs have the
obligation for teaching various classes for their CT in one or more subject
domains. They have almost the same responsibilities as a professional teacher
that is preparing lessons, leading the class and grading pupils work. As these
are complex and difficult tasks for STs, CTS are asked to support STs through
offering emotional and instructional support.
In
order to prepare CTs for this support, different brief training sessions
(two-and-a-half-hours) were carried out in this study. After an introductory
talk, CTs were randomly allocated to a training session that focused either on
the CFC element
of pre-lesson conferences (group P), the CFC element of core issues for
lesson designs (group CI), both elements (group PCI) or another educational
topic, namely homework or school culture (group Contr). The
two topics in the control group were highly relevant for teachers and schools
but clearly distinct from CFC. STs were not informed about the specifics of the
training activities of their CTs.