6.7 Teaching practice and the schools

While 90% of the tutors think teaching practice is the most useful part of the programme, they are very critical of its implementation and organisation. They are doubtful whether the College prepares students properly for teaching practice. About two-thirds think students have good subject knowledge and teaching skills, a quarter feel they can't manage a class, and a third believe students' professional attitudes are poor. Most rate arrangements for TP as less than satisfactory, singling out supervision by College staff and the practical arrangements for student travel and accommodation as being particularly weak.

Many do not feel that the schools selected for TP offer examples of good teaching, nor do they believe that students acquire good quality school experiences. Asked what could be done to improve matters, most highlighted the College role rather than the school: there should be more visits by tutors, more of both preparation and follow-up, and more microteaching. In general, they put less emphasis on efforts from the school side, though a couple of tutors noted how important those school efforts might be. More typically, tutors regard the schools as being old-fashioned, uncooperative or even counter-productive. Only one lecturer seemed to welcome teachers as partners. In the final analysis, though, both lecturers and students did express the need for regular visits of tutors to schools.

In interviews, several explained how difficult or even impossible it was to utilize the supervision time properly due to timetable and resource constraints and to the large numbers of PTC students. By contrast, those teaching the DPE are usually able to visit all their students.