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The University of Limerick has been a major producer of graduate teachers of science for the last twenty years and is currently the largest single source of science teachers in the Republic of Ireland.
This activity has resulted in many long term associations being established with many schools throughout the country since all prospective teaching graduates spend, as part of their professional training, 16 weeks on full-time Teaching Practice (TP) in second level schools. In the past this has been conducted in a fairly traditional manner with each student being assigned two tutors from the University faculty.
The tutors are responsible for the student's preparation for TP, for supervising the student during TP, and for the assessment and grading of the student.
While this system has been in operation for many years and has been successful, changing circumstances within the schools and in the University have led to the perception that the model requires review and modification. The following shortcomings are present in the traditional model.
- The amount of contact which is possible between the student and tutor during the Practice is necessarily very limited. As a result there is little opportunity for tutors to influence and monitor the day to day development of the student's work.
- Assessment of students is made largely on the basis of a small number of observed teaching sessions. On these occasions assessment tends to dominate the relationship between student and tutor and inhibits the proper development of tutorial activity.
- In general TP as presently organised fails to avail of the experience and expertise of practising teachers and school staff.
| LUCENT
SCIENCE TEACHER INITIATIVE |
