An evaluation of an alternative placement experience for students undertaking primary initial teacher training

Abstract

This study is an analysis of the impact on students of their experience of an alternative placement. The placement was run with Year 2 students on a three-year undergraduate initial teacher education degree programme (primary, 3-11) in England. The placement enabled students to have a practical teaching experience in any setting outside the age phase they were training to teach. The analysis is based on a cohort evaluation of the placement (170 students). Data were collected in two ways: through students' written reflections and their identification of the standards required for Qualified Teacher Status that they experienced. This approach was selected owing to the strong expectations by the UK Government to meet set criteria to qualify as a teacher. There is one direct reference in the standards to learning outside the classroom, but it was found that the students considered they had benefited from the alternative placement by offering opportunities for their professional and personal development in many more areas. The research study found that these areas included learning from other experts, working with colleagues, gaining confidence to teach, experiencing other cultural settings, working with children in informal settings, the importance of personalising learning and, in some cases, experiencing second language teaching.

iniciación a la práctica profesional del futuro docente

“…En los 20 informes bajo análisis, excluyendo los dos que describen la observación del contexto no formal, ninguno identifica los contextos no formales incluyéndolos como metodología de enseñanza idealizada. En este sentido, parece que la comprensión de las potencialidades del contexto no formal en el aprendizaje (Dumitru Tabacaru, 2019;Kapur, 2019;Mahruf, Shohel & Howes, 2018;Botella Nicolás, Hurtado Soler & Ramos Ahijado, 2018;Ros Sala et al, 2018;Sangster & Green, 2012;Comissão Europeia, 2001) no está consolidada en estos estudiantes. Incluso los dos estudiantes que describen la metodología de enseñanza, utilizando este contexto, no presentan argumentos sobre los principios pedagógicos de la enseñanza dirigida a la transmisión unidireccional del conocimiento, corroborando la investigación de Harres et al (2013) que la enseñanza es predominantemente transmisiva.…”

Preparing educators to partner with families

“…A second recommendation to enhance educators' preparation to partner with families is to develop alternative or augmentative placement experiences that occur outside of the school within community and home settings. Many educators have argued that family-oriented, community-based or in-home field experiences would help educators move beyond "a parent-teacher conference mentality" to build collaboration skills with a strong emphasis on relational home-school partnering (Chavkin, 2005;Darling-Hammond, Chung, & Frelow, 2002;Freeman, 2009;Friend & Cook, 2003;Sangster & Green, 2012;Warren, Hong, Rubin, & Uy, 2009). Candidates might be asked to conduct home visits, participate in family-school-community-linked projects, engage in conjoint consultation, or work along-side a community liaison (Harry, 2008;Ridgley & O'Kelly, 2008;Sanders, 2008;Sheridan, 1997;Turney & Kao, 2009).…”