Transcript Exploring the concept of an ‘historical gaze’

Carol Bertram, Nonhlanhla Mthiyane
and Tabitha Mukeredzi
School of Education and Development,
Faculty of Education, UKZN






Post Graduate Certificate in Education is a one-year
professional teaching qualification for those who have an
under-graduate degree.
Since 2006, offered part-time over two years to
professionally unqualified teachers, who are already in
classrooms.
Curriculum not changed – only the times of delivery.
Purpose of the study – to explore the experiences and
perceptions of a sample of part time students regarding their
learning and acquisition of professional knowledge through
the PCGE.
Research question:
What do practicing teachers say that they learn from the PGCE
programme?
What does this mean for our practice?
Core education
modules
Teaching
Teaching practice
specialisation modules
EDPD 610 History of
education, theories of
learning, teaching
strategies.
EDPD 620 Curriculum,
assessment, classroom
management, teaching
strategies
EDPD 630 Barriers to
learning, issues of
diversity.
Taught on Saturdays.
TWO in the FET phase
THREE in the GET
phase
Eg. Mathematics,
Natural Science, Social
Science.
Focus on HOW to
teach the subject.
Assumption is that
they have the
disciplinary content
knowledge from their
UG studies.
PT students join the FT
classes in the late
afternoons.
11 weeks over two
blocks.
FOUR weeks in first
year;
SEVEN weeks in the
second year. Usually in
the school where they
are already teaching.






Key questions that inform teacher education: What kinds of
knowledge(s) do teachers need to acquire, and in what ways
do they learn?
Distinction between procedural or practical knowledge
(knowing how to teach) and propositional knowledge
(knowing about teaching and learning).
Both are important for the development of professional
knowledge. But they are learnt in different ways:
Codified, propositional, epistemic knowledge usually learnt
formally.
Practical, craft knowledge is often learnt informally in the
school classroom or created in the situated practice of
teaching.
Here we are concerned with learning from the formal PGCE
programme.
Cohort is 2009/2010 students.
Interviews with 20 students who volunteered to take
part
Sex
F = 16
Age
25 -30 yrs
Mean = 35 years
31 – 40 yrs
Teaching experience
Specialisation
M=4
= 6
9
=5
Above 41 yrs
5
0- 3 yrs
12
4- 5 yrs
4
11 – 15 yrs
4
FET
11
GET/FET
5
GET
3
Foundation
3







Foundational education knowledge: policy, learning
theories, history of education, barriers to learning.
Learn to think differently about teaching
Teaching strategies and pedagogical content
knowledge
Learn to do things differently in their classrooms
Develop a professional identity – becoming a ‘real’
teacher
Develop confidence.
BUT there are also unmet expectations, and
knowledge that they expected to learn, but did
not….



For most PGCE students, the field of education is a
new field of study. Thus they learn new content
regarding learning theories, barriers to learning,
policy, history.
“I’d say the theories...they are like the key, they are like the
psychology of how a learner’s mind works...Like
understanding how a learner learned, like help me prepare
my lessons (B.Sc., 3 yrs exp)
The different learning barriers... We now have the ability to
research it and to come up with good solutions. It really
helped me...I never realised that one of the pupils in my
Grade 5 class, she has got poor reading skills and now I know
different methods and reading recovery (B.Sc. 5 yrs exp)



Students mentioned a range of pedagogical knowledge that
they learned, such as assessment techniques, teaching
strategies, classroom management strategies
Before the PGCE, I would just give the learners a test and
think it was a good test but now I think about what type of
assessment to do. I did not know about the types of
assessment, I was only using one method of assessment. (BA
Hons, 3 yrs exp)
Classroom management I didn’t know, you know, like class
rules, how you manage a child, how you see that the child
does not understand, communicating with the parents…
(B. Paed, 13 yrs)




Only 3 of the 20 mentioned they registered in
order to learn to be a better teacher. All did so for
job security, to become a ‘real’ teacher, get the
qualification, improve salary…
However, many said it changed how they think
about teaching.
It opened up a whole new world realising that there is so
much to teaching. I mean… you think anyone can do it
because you have been through it, but I didn’t expect there
would be so much to it.
It made very clear some of the things that I sort of knew…that
I was vague about. It clarified it for me, which was nice.



Thinking differently about teaching also led
to many of them doing things differently.
I just imitated my teachers, I was teaching in the way that I
was taught. Now I check their level of understanding…I
changed my way. I read the learners, I apply the theory I
learnt.
When I left University, right, I had this lecturing idea…I was
teaching the way I was being taught at school, where I stand
and talk and ask the questions, you do the work. But the
PGCE completely changed the way that I was teaching and
interacting with my kids… (B.Sc. 6 months exp)


Many of the respondents mentioned that they
gained confidence in a range of areas, such as
having more knowledge about teaching and
assessment methods.
‘ It gave me unbelievable confidence, not only in teaching,
because I'm actually a shy...when I left my Science degree,
shy, quiet, wouldn't speak a word unless spoken to….So the
whole PGCE course the way it was structured for me, I don't
know for everyone else, but for me it helped me come out of
my shell (NN, B.Sc)




3 students in the sample were teaching in schools
for learners with special needs – but this is not a
focus of the PGCE.
FP students expected to learn more about how to
teach reading.
Wanting practical solutions for dealing with
pressing social needs (eg child-headed
households, hunger, poverty etc). Not applicable to
the full time students.
Those with PG degrees (eg MA) expected a higher
level of academic engagement with education
theories etc.




Need to recognize and cater for diversity
PT PGCE students come with a wide range of
qualifications (from Bachelors to PhD) and
experience (2 – 15 years teaching experience) – to
be catered for in teaching and assessment.
Some students referred to the course as ‘not
challenging’, ‘boring’, etc.
Everything’s repeated to you over and over again, I mean its
reaching the stage where I think somebody or the same
material is handed to me in a slightly different format, I’m
beginning to feel insulted. I’m beginning to think they must
think that we’re all really stupid





The timing of lectures
Afternoon classes tended to be very problematic –
many taught in schools that were very far from
either PMBurg or Edgewood
This challenge has since been addressed – since
2011 all part-time students attend on Saturdays
and in block sessions during the holidays
We still have pipeline students though.
Lecturers need take cognisance that they have both
full time and part time students in their class –
draw on the experience of the practicing teachers.




Poor communication proved to be a sore point with
the majority of students
We don’t know what’s happening….we’re not here…..we are
teaching so we can’t always look at notice boards, we can’t
you know….If a lecture gets cancelled we drive all the way
down for a cancelled lecture which I understand happens
sometimes, its one of the things but an e-mail or something
would have been nice or an sms….
Not being supported administratively
“…you come to try and sort things out here and you cannot
find the person you’re looking for, they’re not available on
their phone, they’re not available on their email and so where
is your voice then at the university where you’re meant to be
really listened to before you go out in the world… so you lose
your voice here…”




Students’ experiences across the Teaching
Specializations – very diverse
Some are very well structured and address
the needs of students, while students see
some as a “waste of time”.
There appear to be overlaps between some
modules.
A need for specialisation lecturers to talk and
to share best practice and assessment tasks.





Some student expectations are not in line with the
purpose of the PGCE e.g to be taught school
content
PGCE assumes that students have the disciplinary
knowledge
Conclusion
A useful process to get student voices and to
reflect on the programme in a more structured
way.
A need to disseminate to the rest of the Faculty of
Education.