Practical teaching is a form of work-integrated learning that is essential to provide students with the opportunity to receive specific in-service training in order to integrate theory and practice.
In conversations with various teacher-training institutions, it has emerged that more and more questions are being asked about the amount of practical teaching that is crucial to preparing teaching students adequately in all the different phases and facets of classroom practice. The quality of practical teaching is also influenced by various contextual factors in the South African education landscape. Guidelines provided by the South African policy framework only suggest time frames for practical teaching – without providing criteria that will ensure the quality thereof.
From this context, the shortcomings of teaching practice models were explored with a view to making suggestions to improve teaching students' practical preparation. As a theoretical framework, this investigative case study draws from the human capital theory as well as the socio-cultural theory. Four South African institutions that train foundation phase teachers through distance learning were identified. Four primary schools in Gauteng were also identified through random sampling.
Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with lecturers, principals and mentor teachers. Questionnaires were used to collect data from students who do teaching practice at the four participating primary schools. Data collected show the undeniable value of teaching practice, point out gaps relating to time frames of practical teaching, highlight the importance of proper mentoring, and discuss the need for partnerships as well as demands and expectations with regard to the assessment of practical skills. Recommendations include suggestions about how the policy framework could provide for internships and proper induction programmes for student teachers, as well as the introduction of teaching schools or schools of professional practice. Formal accredited mentor training is also strongly recommended. Although the study focuses on teaching practice in distance learning institutions, traditional residential universities as well as international universities within a similar context to that of South Africa may also find the recommendations useful.
Praktiese onderwys is ʼn vorm van werkgeïntegreerde leer wat noodsaaklik is om studente die geleentheid te bied om spesifieke indiensopleiding te ontvang om teorie en praktyk met mekaar te kan integreer.
Uit gesprekke met verskeie onderwyseropleidingsinstansies het dit geblyk dat daar al hoe meer vrae gevra word oor die hoeveelheid praktiese onderwys wat noodsaaklik is om onderwysstudente na behore voor te berei in al die verskillende fases en fasette van klaskamerpraktyk. Die gehalte van praktiese onderwys word ook beïnvloed deur verskeie kontekstuele faktore in die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwyslandskap. Riglyne wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse beleidsraamwerk voorsien word, gee slegs tydsraamwerke vir praktiese onderwys – sonder om kriteria te voorsien wat die gehalte van onderwyspraktyk sal verseker.
Vanuit hierdie konteks is die leemtes in onderwyspraktykmodelle ondersoek met die oog daarop om voorstelle aan die hand te doen om onderwysstudente se praktiese voorbereiding te verbeter. Hierdie ondersoekende gevallestudie bestudeer die mensekapitaalteorie en sosiokulturele teorie as teoretiese raamwerke vir die studie. Vier Suid-Afrikaanse instansies wat grondslagfase-onderwysers deur middel van afstandsonderrig oplei, is geïdentifiseer. Vier laerskole in Gauteng is ook deur middel van ewekansige steekproefneming geïdentifiseer.
Data is deur middel van halfgestruktureerde individuele onderhoude met dosente, skoolhoofde en mentoronderwysers ingesamel. Vraelyste is gebruik om data in te samel van studente wat prakties doen by die vier deelnemende laerskole. Data wat ingesamel is toon die onmiskenbare waarde van onderwyspraktyk, wys leemtes met betrekking tot tydsraamwerke van praktiese onderwys uit, lig die belangrikheid van behoorlike mentorskap uit, en bespreek die noodsaaklikheid van vennootskappe asook eise en verwagtinge ten opsigte van die assessering van praktiese vaardighede. Aanbevelings sluit voorstelle in oor hoe die beleidsraamwerk voorsiening kan maak vir internskappe en behoorlike induksieprogramme vir onderwysstudente, asook vir die vestiging van opleidingskole of professionele-praktyk-skole. Formele geakkrediteerde mentoropleiding word ook sterk aanbeveel. Hoewel die studie op onderwyspraktyk by afstandsleerinstansies fokus, sou residensiële universiteite en internasionale universiteite met ͗n soortgelyke konteks as dié van Suid-Afrika, ook by die voorstelle kon baat.
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