The Experience of Training: A Study of Students at the National Teacher Training College in Lesotho (CIE, 2000, 39 p.): Appendix 2: Mid-Way Questionnaire

Appendix 2: Mid-Way Questionnaire

The Experience of Training: A Study of Students at the National Teacher Training College in Lesotho (CIE, 2000, 39 p.)

		(introduction...)
		Multi-Site Teacher Education Research Project (MUSTER)
		Acronyms and Abbreviations
		Abstract
		Chapter 1: Introduction
		Chapter 2: Research Methods
		Chapter 3: Data Analysis
		Chapter 4: Findings
		Chapter 5: Conclusions
		References
		Appendix 1: Lesotho Midway Likert Items
		Appendix 2: Mid-Way Questionnaire

It should be increased

It should stay the same length

It should be decreased

It is unnecessary and should be abolished

Dear Student

You have kindly helped us in various ways with this research project in the training of teachers. Now you are about halfway through your Diploma in Education Primary, we are interested in how you find your course. We would be most grateful if you would answer the questions below as fully as you can. All the information will be kept confidential.

About yourself

1.	Your student number	......................
2.	Your Age in years	......................
3.	(Please tick your gender)	Female	( )	Male	( )

Section A: The Curriculum

Please think about your experience of the college courses so far, and answer the following questions by ticking or entering a number in the relevant box.

1. Semester One

Your first semester comprised a bridging course in the main subjects. What did you think about it? Please give your opinion by ticking the box below.

2. How is teaching organised?

Think back to last week (or the last week of full teaching) and fill in the following to show what kinds of teaching you had in the main subjects:

	English	Maths	Science	Education
Lectures
Small group discussion with tutors (less than 15 students)
Large group class discussions with tutors (more than 15 students)
Group Work Activity
Observation in schools
Micro teaching
Project work

3. Amount of time

Do you think the time available for different subjects should be more or less than it is now?

	Much more time	More time	The same	Less time	Much less time
Maths
Science
English
Education
Teaching Practice Preparation
Teaching Practice
Micro-teaching
Other subjects (please specify)

4. Theory and Practice

Is the balance between theory and practice on the course appropriate? Please tick

	Needs more time	About right	Needs less time
Theory
Practical Activity

5. Content and methods
Is the balance between subject content and subject methods on the course appropriate?
Please tick.

	Needs more time	About right	Needs less time
Methods
Content

6. Usefulness to trainee teachers

How useful do you rate the different kinds of courses? Please tick.

	Very Useful	Quite useful	Not very useful	Not Useful
Subject Content
Subject Methodology
Education
Micro-teaching
Group Activity Work
Project Work

7. Ease or Difficulty

Which parts of the course are most easy and most difficult? Please Tick

	Very Easy	Easy	Difficult	Very Difficult
English content
Maths content
Science content
Education
Subject Methodology
Micro-teaching
Project work

8. Improvements needed

What would improve your course most? Please tick

	Very important	Important	Minor importance	No importance
More teaching on subject content
More teaching on methodology
Smaller teaching groups
More time to prepare for end of year examinations
More time to study on my own
More notes from tutors
More textbooks
More group work activity
More time working in schools

9. Are there any other things that should be included in the training course?

If yes, state what should be included.

........................................................................................................

10. Teaching quality

Please comment on the quality of the teaching on the course by ticking below

11. Describing your tutors

Place a tick in the boxes that apply to your tutors.

For example, in the first row of boxes about whether tutors know their subject well:

if you think tutors know their subject well	tick under 1
if you think they know it quite well,	tick under 2
if you think they are quite weak,	tick under 3
and if they are weak,	tick under 4.

Please read each pair of statements very carefully before ticking.

Generally tutors in this college:

	1	2	3	4
Know subject well					Weak in the subject
Often link theory to practice in schools					Rarely link theory to practice in schools.
Rarely encourage small group work					Encourage small group work
Always mark and return students work					Never mark students work
Are Strict					Are Friendly
Are Approachable					Are Unapproachable
Are Uncaring					Are Caring
Teach only theory					Emphasise Practical work
Fair in assessment					Unfair in assessment
Are often late					Are always on time
Are there to teach all required lessons					Are often absent from teaching
Lessons are relevant to learning to teach					Often irrelevant to learning to teach
Lessons are Confusing					Lessons are easy to understand

11. Assessment

These are the continuous assessment activities suggested by the syllabus for the end of modules. Think back over this term about which of these you have been given in each subject. Please enter the number of times in the relevant box. If none, put 0.

	English	Maths	Science	Education
Essay (500 words)
Essay (1000 words)
Report on experiment
Class-based test
Library-based test
Take home test
Open book test
Mini project
Group project
Major project
Other (please describe)

12. Improving your grades

What would help you do better on assessments? Please tick whichever is applicable

More time for revision
Better teaching
Better notes
More study time
Better spacing of assignments
More textbooks
Other (please specify)

13. Resources

Does the library have enough books and other material?

	Much more needed	More needed	Enough
Subject course books
Primary school textbooks
Reference books
Education books

14 Your wish-list

If the college was given M. 100,000 (one hundred thousand Maloti) what would you advise the Director to spend it on?

..................................................................................................................................

Section B

Please answer the following as fully as you can. If there is not enough space use the back of the page.

Your Student Number: ........................................................................................

1. Write down two important new things you have learnt about teaching since coming to the college

a) ........................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................

b) ........................................................................................................................

2. Have any of your ideas about teaching changed? YES / NO (please circle)

If you circled YES, please explain how your ideas have changed:

..............................................................................................................................

3. What are the best things about this course?

..............................................................................................................................

3. What are the worst things about this course?

..............................................................................................................................

5. Please tick which of the following statements best describes your feelings:

The course has made me less keen to be a teacher
The course has made me more enthusiastic about teaching
I feel just the same about wanting to be a teacher as when I started

SECTION C:

In this section, please place a tick in only one box for each question

6. School children learn best when in small groups.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

7. The most important thing a teacher can do is teach pupils facts that they need to know.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

9. Teachers cannot do much to improve the results of slow learners

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

10. All you need to do well on College tests is a good memory

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

11. School pupils learn more from listening to the teacher than from asking questions

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

12. Teachers find it difficult to maintain discipline in schools without corporal punishment.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

13. Doing well in College examinations is easier than doing well at secondary school

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

14. I think it will be easy to use new teaching methods in my school

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

15. Children need to be divided into ability groups to be taught well

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

16. I prefer being assessed through assignments than through end-of-term examinations

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

17. I find it difficult to make teaching and learning aids.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

18. Corporal punishment is not useful for helping children to learn

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

19. After teaching lessons in school I write down how to improve next time

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

20. Examinations are a fair test of what I have learnt at College

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

21. There is no time in school for teachers to plan lessons well

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

22. People who are good teachers do not need much training

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

23. My friends think I am fortunate to be a schoolteacher

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

24. I feel well prepared to start teaching now

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

25. Women make the best primary school principals

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

26. Teaching is easier than many other jobs I could do.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

27. I need more training to be an effective teacher

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

28. Teachers are born not made.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

29. Teaching is a very difficult job to do well

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

30. I would rather teach in a secondary school than a primary school.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

31. Men make the best primary school class teachers.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

32. I would rather have gone to University than Teacher Training College

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

33. I think being a teacher is the best job I can get.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

34. Primary school teachers are respected by the community

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

35. I know many teachers who would prefer to do other jobs.

	Strongly agree
	Agree
	Disagree
	Strongly disagree

***

The discussion papers are downloadable from the following web address:

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/usie/muster/list.html