AIOU Assignment BEd 1.5 Year 8626 Teacher Education in Pakistan Assignment 2
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Q 1. a) Explain the purposes and significance of teaching practice in teacher education curriculum.
Ans: Teaching practice is an important component of becoming a teacher. It grants student teachers experience in the actual teaching and learning environment (Ngidi & Sibaya, 2003:18; Marais & Meier, 2004:220; Perry, 2004:2). During teaching practice, a student teacher is given the opportunity to try the art of teaching before actually getting into the real world of the teaching profession (Kasanda, 1995). Student teachers also know the value of teaching practice and as remarked by Menter (1989:461), they perceive it as 'the crux of their preparation for the teaching profession' since it provides for the 'real interface' between studenthood and membership of the profession. As a result, teaching practice creates a mixture of anticipation, anxiety, excitement and apprehension in the student teachers as they commence their teaching practice (Manion, Keith, Morrison & Cohen, 2003; Perry, 2004:4).
Marais & Meier (2004:221) assert that the term teaching practice represents the range of experiences to which student teachers are exposed when they work in classrooms and schools. Marais and Meier (2004:221) further argue that teaching practice is a challenging but important part of teacher training, especially in developing countries such as South Africa, where the effectiveness of the teaching practice can be diminished or eroded by a range of challenges, such as geographical distance, low and uneven levels of teacher expertise, a wide-ranging lack of resources as well as a lack of discipline among a wide cross-section of learners and educators. These challenges, if not addressed, may affect student teachers' performance during teaching practice and may in the long run affect their perception of the teaching profession (Quick & Sieborger, 2005).
Menter (1989:460) notes that there has been a shift in the literature from the concept of teaching practice (associated with an apprenticeship model) to the concept of field/school experience (associated with an experiential model). Lave & Wenger (1991) point out that however way it may be envisaged, the notion of teaching practice is entrenched in experience-based learning initiated by Dewey (1938), Vygotsky's (1978) social cognitive theory, and founded in the premise of situated learning. Consequently as suggested by the South African Norms & Standards for Educators (Republic of South Africa, 2000:12), teaching practice is meant to provide for the authentic context within which student teachers are exposed to experience the complexities and richness of the reality of being a teacher. This process allows the student teacher an opportunity to establish whether the right career choice has been made or not. However, despite its importance, Killen & Steyn (2001) note that teaching practice sometimes becomes a demoralising and sometimes very frightening experience.
Several studies have been conducted on student teacher's experience and anxieties during teaching practice (Ngidi & Sibaya, 2003; Marais & Meier, 2004)to mention but two. However a review of the literature indicates that there are limited studies that have been conducted regarding ways in which students' experiences during teaching practice influence their perception of and attitudes towards the teaching profession.
The study examined the experiences of Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) student teachers during their teaching practice in the Vaal Triangle. The study was prompted by a class discussion where students were requested to give reasons for choosing the teaching profession. The majority of the students in that class indicated that they were doing the course by default. The students saw it as a stopgap while they waited for better career opportunities in other fields. Most of the students were from other countries and had been offered government bursaries to enrol for the PGCE programme. These students enrolled because they had no alternative, since they were not able to get jobs after their undergraduate qualification and because there was funding available for them to do the PGCE course. The majority of student teachers indicated that they had no intention of teaching after the course. During the year, some students maintained the same attitude while others felt that teaching was "not such a bad thing after all". All students had continued with the course until the time they had had to go for teaching practice.
While curriculum specialists, administrators and outside educational companies spend countless hours developing curriculum, it is the teachers who know best what the curriculum should look like. After all, they work directly with the students meant to benefit from the curriculum. In order to create a strong curriculum, teachers must play an integral role in every step of the process.
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Q 1. b) How teaching practice is different from internship? Develop guideline to optimize the benefits of teaching practice.
The Practicum Experience
Practicums are field experiences that allow a student to observe and document how working professionals perform their job responsibilities. Students will also participate to a limited extent in performing tasks under supervision by program professors and on-site staff. Concurrently, students enroll in a course which outlines the expectations and requirements of the practicum.
The expectations associated with a practicum vary according to the career. For example, a practicum in teaching may require assisting the teacher with implementing small group instruction, whereas a practicum in nursing may entail recording vital signs for one or two patients under supervision. General characteristics of practicums include:
- Shadowing one or more assigned employees who will guide the on-site experience.
- Observing and correlating practices in the field with theories and methods previously studied.
- Recording data or assisting with tasks as directed by on-site personnel.
- Completing practicum course assignments.
Participation at the practicum site is typically two or three times per week for a few hours per session. No remuneration is expected for a practicum, but it does qualify for academic credit.
The Internship Experience
As compared to practicums, internships take on the characteristics of a real job focusing on independent application of skills and knowledge in the workplace setting. Students are placed with on-site professionals who manage their workload and oversee their performance much as an administrator in an actual employment setting would. Additionally, program instructors visit the student two to three times during the internship to evaluate their progress and performance.
A major difference between a practicum and a internship involves the degree of expected involvement of the student with hands-on work. The expansion of task expectations can be demonstrated using the previous examples from the education and medical fields. Compared to a practicum student, student teaching interns would not only assist with lesson planning but collaborate with their supervising teachers to create and instruct wholegroup lessons independently. In a similar fashion, nursing interns would go beyond mere charting of vital signs. They would be expected to understand and independently perform evaluation procedures on multiple patients, then accurately record their results and consult with their nursing supervisor about them.
Internships are usually considered to be full-time experiences, following the work schedule of the assigned placement. They also receive academic credit, and in some cases, may provide a stipend for services rendered.
As an avenue for preparing graduates for careers, academic practicum and internship experiences are valuable tools for learning. They not only afford students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and practice their skills in real world settings but prepare students for the realities of the workplace. By understanding the differences between a practicum and an internship, students have the advantage of being better prepared to navigate the curriculum of the degree programs they are pursuing.
Guideline to optimize the benefits of teaching practice:
Through the decisions they make, excellent teachers translate the DAP framework into high quality experiences for children. Such teaching is described in NAEYC’s position statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice, pages 16-23: "Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice." These guidelines address five key aspects of the teacher's role:
- Creating a caring community of learners
- Teaching to enhance development and learning
- Planning curriculum to achieve important goals
- Assessing children's development and learning
- Establishing reciprocal relationships with families
Let’s think of these guidelines as five points on a star—a “mariner’s star” to guide our journey to help children learn best. Each point of the star is a vital part of good practice in early care and education. None can be left out or shortchanged without seriously weakening the whole.
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Q 2. Elaborate the problems in integration of computer assisted instruction in teachers training. Develop a plan for the integration of computers in teachers training.
Ans: Computer-assisted instruction" (CAI) refers to instruction or remediation presented on a computer. Many educational computer programs are available online and from computer stores and textbook companies. They enhance teacher instruction in several ways. Computer programs are interactive and can illustrate a concept through attractive animation, sound, and demonstration. They allow students to progress at their own pace and work individually or problem solve in a group. Computers provide immediate feedback, letting students know whether their answer is correct. If the answer is not correct, the program shows students how to correctly answer the question. Computers offer a different type of activity and a change of pace from teacher-led or group instruction.
Computer-assisted instruction improves instruction for students with disabilities because students receive immediate feedback and do not continue to practice the wrong skills. Computers capture the students' attention because the programs are interactive and engage the students' spirit of competitiveness to increase their scores. Also, computer assisted instruction moves at the students' pace and usually does not move ahead until they have mastered the skill. Programs provide differentiated lessons to challenge students who are at risk, average, or gifted.* The most striking innovation in the field of educational technology is the use of computers in the instructional process. Computer Assisted Instruction is a natural outgrowth of the application of the principles of Programmed Instruction. The main objective of CAI is to provide the needed flexibility for individualizing the educational process. It meets the need of a specific learner in a way in which it almost impossible to do so in a face-to-face student teacher relationship. A computer is such a device which can cater to the needs of the individual learners by storing a large amount of information. It can process the information suiting to the needs of the individual learner. It can cater to great variety of educational needs that range widely with respect to educational levels, subject matter, and style of instruction and level of learning from drill and practice to problem solving. Use of computer to assist in the presentation of instructional materials to a student, to monitor learning progress, or to select additional instructional materials in accordance with the needs of individual learners.
Modes of CAI
Drill and Practice: This mode is designed to teach basic facts. The student is asked to type in answers to questions and the computer tells him about the correctness of his response. The pupil is presented with more questions until the material is committed to memory. Control of learning rests with the computer since it initiates and controls the students’ activity. Although dill and practice programmes might help students memorize facts and information they can go beyond this and ask questions which involve the use of procedural knowledge to supply answers and provide reinforcement and feedback.
Tutorial: Tutorial is used to teach basic concepts or methods. The tutorial type utilizes written explanations, descriptions, questions, problems and graphic illustrations for teaching concepts much like a tutor. Tutorial mode is very useful when students show varying levels of conceptual understanding and it can provide for individual tutoring needs that may be difficult to satisfy through traditional instructional arrangements. The computer specifies the tasks and on submission of answers by the students, the computer checks and provides feedback. Control of the learning situation rests with the computer.
Simulation: Simulation deals with the representation of an event, system or equipment. This is an excellent mode which enables students to investigate and experiment with system and processes which are complex, dangerous and expensive. It has the unique ability to compress time and produce expensive, delicate or dangerous systems and equipment Simulation allows students to investigate the optimum conditions for carrying out a particular process and gain an appreciation of the situation and constrains.
Modeling: Computer programs can be used to build complex mathematical models and explore them quantitatively, rapidly and in great detail. It is also easy to compare alternative models and investigate their relative behavior with respect to any parameters.
Educational Gaming: It can be programmed where the student is placed in a competitive position with either another student or the computer itself. These are best suited to teach rules, procedures, etc.
How is CAI implemented?
Teachers should review the computer program or the online activity or game to understand the context of the lessons and determine which ones fit the needs of their students and how they may enhance instruction.
- Can this program supplement the lesson, give basic skills practice, or be used as an educational reward for students?
- Is the material presented so that students will remain interested yet not lose valuable instruction time trying to figure out how to operate the program? Does the program waste time with too much animation?
- Is the program at the correct level for the class or the individual student?
Teachers should also review all Web sites and links immediately before directing students to them. Web addresses and links frequently change and become inactive. Students might become frustrated when links are no longer available. Reading programs are beneficial to reading instruction because they allow students to learn at their own pace; teach phonics with sound, student interaction, and immediate feedback; and allow students to read animated books. Some programs read stories that students write on the computer. Students may be scheduled for instructional or remedial time with the computer. The computer program may also be a station in a classroom learning center or used as a reward for positive behavior or work completion.
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Q 3. Describe the concept of Micro-teaching. How it helps to improve the competences of teachers, provide example.
Ans: Micro-teaching is a teacher training and faculty development technique whereby the teacher reviews a recording of a teaching session, in order to get constructive feedback from peers and/or students about what has worked and what improvements can be made to their teaching technique. Micro-teaching was invented in the mid-1960s at Stanford University by Dwight W. Allen, and has subsequently been used to develop educators in all forms of education.
In the original process, a teacher was asked to prepare a short lesson (usually 20 minutes) for a small group of learners who may not be have been their own students. This was then recorded on video. After the lesson, the teacher, teaching colleagues, a master teacher and the students together viewed the videotape and commented on what they saw happening, referencing the teacher's learning objectives. Seeing the video and getting comments from colleagues and students provided teachers with an often intense "under the microscope" view of their teaching.
A review of the evidence for micro-teaching, undertaken by John Hattie as part of his Visible Learning project, found it was an effective method for improving student outcomes.
Objectives of Microteaching
- To enable teacher trainees to learn and assimilate new teaching skills under controlled conditions.
- To enable teacher trainees to master a number of teaching skills.
- To enable teacher trainees to gain confidence in teaching.
Characteristic of Microteaching
- Microteaching is a highly individualized training device
- Microteaching is an experiment in the field of teacher education which has been incorporated in the practice teaching schedule
- It is a student teaching skill training technique and not a teaching technique or method
- Microteaching is micro in the sense that it scale down the complexities of real teaching
- Practicing one skill at a time
- Reducing the class size to 5 – 10 pupil
- Reducing the duration of lesson to 5 – 10 minutes
- Limiting the content to a single concept
- immediate feedback helps in improving, fixing and motivating learning
- The student are providing immediate feedback in terms of peer group feedback, tape recorded/CCTV
- Microteaching advocates the choice and practice of one skill at a time
Steps of Micro-teaching: The Micro-teaching programme involves the following steps:
Step I Particular skill to be practiced is explained to the teacher trainees in terms of the purpose and components of the skill with suitable examples.
Step II The teacher trainer gives the demonstration of the skill in Micro-teaching in simulated conditions to the teacher trainees.
Step III The teacher trainee plans a short lesson plan on the basis of the demonstrated skill for his/her practice.
Step IV The teacher trainee teaches the lesson to a small group of pupils. His lesson is supervised by the supervisor and peers.
Step V On the basis of the observation of a lesson, the supervisor gives feedback to the teacher trainee. The supervisor reinforces the instances of effective use of the skill and draws attention of the teacher trainee to the points where he could not do well.
Step VI In the light of the feed-back given by the supervisor, the teacher trainee replans the lesson plan in order to use the skill in more effective manner in the second trial.
Step VII The revised lesson is taught to another comparable group of pupils.
Step VIII The supervisor observes the re-teach lesson and gives re-feed back to the teacher trainee with convincing arguments and reasons.
Step IX The ‘teach – re-teach’ cycle may be repeated several times till adequate mastery level is achieved.
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Q 4. Highlight the difference in the teacher education curriculum of United Kingdom and Pakistan.
Ans: In Pakistan, education is a federal as well as provincial function. There is a Ministry of Education at Islamabad, which formulates the policies and plans at national level. It involves the provinces in the formulation of national education policies and plans. The provinces develop their own plans and execute according to their situations and available resources in the light of national education policies. Since the introduction of devolution plan in education sector in 2002, most affairs of the school education are dealt with the Executive District Officers (Education). For example, policy implementation, and supervision and monitoring of schools, recruitment and transfers of teachers are the main functions of the district governments. EDO (Education) is supported by district education officers (DEOs) and deputy district education officers (Dy. DEOs) and other staff. The other key roles and responsibilities like policy formulation, teacher training, and budget allocation to district governments to a large extent are still with the provincial governments. At provincial levels, the administrative head of the Education Department is ‘Secretary’ or in certain cases there are two secretaries: one for schools, designated as ‘Special Secretary (Schools) and the other ‘Special Secretary (Higher Education)’. They are supported by a number of additional and deputy secretaries and other staff. In the UK, on the other hand, education is the responsibility of each country. In each country, there is a separate institution which deals with all the affairs of education, though the role and functions differ more or less. For example, in England, there is a Department for Education and Skills (DfES); in Wales, Welsh Office; in Scotland, Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED); and in Northern Ireland, the Department of Education. There are some other bodies in each state like Training and Development.
Agency (TDA) in England; there is no such agency in Scotland, rather General Teaching Council (GTC) undertakes all such functions. Each country is responsible for framing its own policies and plans.
Curriculum:
Nature, Formulation and Responsible Authority In Pakistan, school curricula for grades 1-12 is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Curriculum Wing, Islamabad. In each province there is a Curriculum Bureau or Curriculum Research and Development Centre (CRDC) which provides academic support to the Ministry of Education, Islamabad. Curriculum formulation is a lengthy process, as the ministry has to take expert opinions from all regions of the country. The curriculum draft is finalized by the National Curriculum Review Committee, Islamabad. Thus uniform curriculum of each subject is followed all over the country; although textbooks in different subjects may vary across the provincial text book boards (PTB). The higher education curriculum in Pakistan is the function of the respective departments of the universities or colleges. The title of courses and broader framework are usually discussed in the faculty, and then each teacher plans in his/her own way to impart instructions in the classrooms.
United Kingdom’s System of Education
In Britain compulsory schooling takes place between the ages of five and sixteen. The over riding objectives of the government’s education policies are to raise standards at all levels of ability, increase parental choice, make further and higher education more widely accessible and more responsive to the needs of the economy, and to achieve the best possible returns from the resources invested in the education service. (Britain 1990) [7] Parents are legally bound to ensure that their children aged five to sixteen regularly receive efficient full time education. Most students receive free education financed from public funds, and a small proportion attends private schools independent of public financial support. Pupils follow a common curriculum leading to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and Vocational Certificate of Secondary Education (VCSE). Students are allowed to select a number of GCSEs, VCSEs as per their personal preferences and aptitudes. Quite a few schools cater for the educational needs of the students for additional two years till they sit for the Advanced Level of General Certificate of Education. (GCE A Levels)
Primary and Secondary Schools
Ninety percent of boys and girls are taught together in most primary schools. Most independent/private fee-charging schools are mixed at the primary level and single-gender at the secondary level. These schools are registered with, and inspected by the government and governed by an independent board. No fees are charged in government schools, which are governed by the Local Education Authorities (LEA). There is no statutory requirement to provide education for the under-fives, but nursery education is well established now. Compulsory education begins at five at infant schools and at seven they go to junior/primary schools. The average age of passing out from primary school and entry into secondary school is eleven years. Schools are organized in a number of ways including secondary schools with age range, from 11 to 18; middle schools whose students move on to senior comprehensive schools at the age of 12 to 16. Tertiary colleges offer a full range of vocational and academic courses for students over 16.
Examinations
At the completion of the secondary education at UK, at the age of sixteen, secondary school students appear for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). This examination in order to raise the standard of performance has replaced General Certificate of Education (GCE), Ordinary Level (O Level), and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) since 1988. GCSE examination is taken after five years of Secondary Education and evaluated at a seven point scale of grades, A to G. The GCSE Advanced level (A Level) examination is taken after two years of further study. Its successful completion qualifies the student for induction into universities.
Educational Standards
Her Majesty’s inspectors report to ministers on the quality of education provided at all schools colleges and universities. They also advise the Local Education Authorities (LEA) and the government, and publish the reports.
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Q 5. Discuss the importance of establishment of partnership between the teachers training institutions of Pakistan.
Ans: Society has developed itself into a complex system of organisations and interactions, therefore the demands on schools and schooling has become greater. The need for professional teachers grew with it. With the recognition of teaching as a profession it has been acknowledged that all teachers require specialised training, in order to develop the knowledge and competencies necessary to take on teaching. However, educating teachers in specialized institutes was not the whole answer in the demand for qualified teachers. At the end of the 1980s the growing dissatisfaction with ‘teaching practice’ culminated in a UNESCO report. (Down, 1995). Teacher preparation was regarded as insufficient, due to a lack of linkages between for instance subject matter and teaching processes, and preparation for diverse class/school situations. Furthermore, the lack of training of cooperating teachers and the lack of credibility of college or university supervisors was seen as a real problem. (Down, 1995). As a result of this, pre-service teacher education practically all over Europe, the USA and Australia went through vigorous changes. One model which tried to address these concerns was one which encouraged a strong partnership between universities, colleges and schools. (Down, 1995). Since then, in different countries in and outside Europe, several models of partnerships and types of cooperation between schools and institutes for teacher education emerged, under the general heading of school-based teacher education. (e.g. Furlong, 1996, Bulloch, 1997 and Snoek, 2001).
What is school-based teacher education?
Teaching is a very complex profession and formative in nature, one grows within the profession and hence through daily experiences. Becoming a teacher is not only a matter of getting access to a certain body of knowledge and acquiring adequate skills. Becoming a teacher is transformational in nature. It is, first and foremost, about developing one’s own personal and professional identity. Such an identity can be obtained and enriched by taking part in school practices and in the daily life of teachers. The metaphor used by Sfard to indicate this type of learning is participation, one which encourages the acquisition of knowledge, skills and the development of values, attitudes and beliefs within a school environment and not solely within the confines of teacher education institutions (Sfard, 1998). School-based teacher education is based on these assumptions. Partnerships between school and teacher education institutes nowadays are about the possibilities for student-teachers to really participate in school practice and at the same time to acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary to become qualified teachers. Leading principle in designing the curricula are the problems and questions teachers have to deal within the practice of their daily life at school. School-based teacher education in our view is only possible when schools and teacher education institutes work intensively together and recognize the strengths and possibilities each of them can offer to student-teachers learning. As a consequence of this, teachers who teach teachers (teacher educators) can be found in schools as well as in the institutes for teacher education. The question how to link theory to practice however is still an issue within school-based teacher education. Collaboration between schools and institutes in order to improve school development and teacher education is a prerequisite to that objective. This form of collaboration is known as collaborative school-based teacher education and it elaborates on the ideas of the professional development schools (PDS). In Professional Development Schools teacher education is embedded in the overall school development (ten Dam, 2006).
The educational climate within the Faculty of Education has witnessed, especially over the last ten years, “a shift from individualism to social relationships” (Bezzina & Camilleri, 1998). The B.Ed. (Hons.) programme is based on the following main features: “participation, consultation, support, collaboration, reflection, motivation, openness and empowerment”. Various initiatives have been undertaken (e.g. Tomorrow’s Teachers Project, 1997) which have helped both the individuals members within the Faculty but also the Faculty’s own identity and character to grow. Our discourse, together with that of our students has taught us over the years that we need to seriously address the dichotomy between what is learnt at University and the realities in schools. Our discourse, together with a growing literature in the field of Professional Development Schools (Darling-Hammond, 1994; Metcalf-Turner & Fischetti, 1996) have highlighted the benefits that can be gained through school-centred initial teacher training. Therefore the main purpose of the Faculty of Education Professional Development School Partnership will be simultaneous renewal of the teacher education programme at the university and teaching and learning in schools. The setting up of Faculty-School Partnerships offers us the possibility of exploring different ways of learning as a result of which there will be greater relevance to the teaching-learning context (Teitel, 1998; Zeichner and Miller, 1997). PDSs create opportunities, which allow us, st annual atee Association of Teacher Education in Europe conference 749 as teacher educators, to take on different roles. It is within such a context that we expect beginning teacher educators to feel at their best. They have just left the classrooms and are therefore ideally positioned to establish the necessary philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings necessary for any professional discourse to take place. Experience has shown us the need to work together with teachers in schools. On the one hand we need teachers at the school site who, through their diverse qualities, will be good models to prospective teachers. In this respect teachers can serve as mentors or co-operating teachers, both fulfilling different but complimentary roles. On the other hand, the university lecturer has the opportunity of getting closer to the school and establishing the ground for educational discourse to take place between the student-teachers and lecturers alike.
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