A Learnership Programme for Student Teachers: A Partnership between a School and an Open Distance Learning Institution

Abstract

This research explored the possible advantages of a partnership, grounded in a learnership programme, between a school and an Open Distance Learning Institution to address the need for more and better qualified teachers. A headmaster at a primary school in Gauteng felt that this need for qualified teachers with the necessary teaching expertise could be addressed by implementing an apprenticeship or internship programme similar to that employed in the corporate world. A learnership programme was created under the supervision of the headmaster and with the approval of rest of the staff, whereby participating student teachers would enrol for a professional teaching degree at an Open Distance Learning Institution while completing the practical teaching component of the degree programme at the school. The findings of this research relied mainly on qualitative data obtained through interviews with the participating student teachers. These findings were supported by profiling the participating student teachers, thus, obtaining quantitative data. By exploring and comparing the student teachers' comments there emerged certain identifiable themes based on the theoretical framework of situated learning and workintegrated learning. The benefits for all the participants in this learnership programme were identified. Conclusions as well as recommendations were made in regard to the practical implications of a partnership-learnership programme between schools and an Open Distance Learning Institution in the future.