Revisiting the Teaching Practicum: Effecting Innovation or Entrenching the Status Quo? Reflections from an ITE Program in South Africa

Abstract

Developing programs that adequately prepare teachers to address the key challenges of quality and equity in schools remain an ongoing challenge in the new, democratic South Africa. This chapter reviews the changes effected in the Professional Studies theory and teaching practicum component to enhance student teachers’ knowledge and skills for teaching in South African classrooms. Key changes were effected to the course content, methods, and approaches used in teaching the course, materials developed for the course, student assignments and final project, and the evaluation of the teaching practicum. Data was obtained from surveys and focus group interviews conducted as part of a larger sector study across four initial teacher training programs in South Africa. Findings highlight the positive impact of the changes effected to the Professional Studies course, with significantly more students from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) reporting being better prepared for the teaching practicum, receiving greater support from their lecturers, and reporting higher gains in assessment knowledge and skills from their teaching practicum experiences. Several challenges were also noted during the interviews regarding their preparedness to address issues of inclusivity and deal with the challenge of the different languages of learning and teaching at schools. However, as these students enter the teaching profession, it remains unknown whether their newly acquired knowledge and skills, especially with regard to assessment, will impact on their classroom practices to address the challenges of improving learning for all.