Clinical Practice in a Graduate Preservice Teacher Education Program: Early Impacts

• In Event: Clinical Approaches to Teacher Education: Connecting Research in Ireland, the United States, Scotland, and Australia

Abstract

This paper reports on research on the Master of Teaching degree (Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary) introduced at the University of Melbourne in 2008. Development and theoretical and research underpinnings of the degree are outlined with research findings on the strengths, challenges and impacts of the program.

Central to the philosophy of the program is the understanding that teaching is a clinical profession and teachers must be expert in gathering evidence and using sound clinical judgement to create appropriate learning strategies. Schools work in close partnership with the University to model this in pre-service teacher education and to address the theory/research-practice gap. The model was influenced by the Teachers for a New Era program (Carnegie Corporation, 2001), in particular the notion that that teaching be recognised as an ‘academically taught, clinical practice profession’, a view that challenges the enduring ‘apprenticeship’ model of teacher preparation. Schools working with Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) are used as clinical sites, actively involving the best teachers in the schools in the clinical training component.

Data are drawn from an external evaluation conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (2010); a survey of Alumni/graduates (2011, 2012); an external evaluation of the Early Childhood stream (Raban, 2009); research into the efficacy of clinical praxis in the Secondary Stream, and an evaluation conducted by the University’s Teaching and Learning Quality Assurance Committee.

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducted an evaluation of the MTeach (primary, secondary) during 2010. Eighty-six graduates of the program completed an online survey that explored their reasons for undertaking the program, their perceptions of it and their professional experiences since graduation. Telephone interviews were conducted with 96 representatives of stakeholder groups (principals of base schools and schools employing graduates, supervising staff, primary and secondary graduates of the program, Clinical Specialists, Teaching Fellows and others). The MGSE Alumni Survey (2011) collected 165 responses, and was replicated in 2012 with 158 respondants. Research projects in the secondary stream focused on assessment and course design. The evaluation of the Early Childhood Stream (2009) focused on one cluster.

Findings indicate the program is well regarded by all stakeholders, including candidates and graduates. The extended school experience is credited with producing graduates who are well-prepared to begin teaching and who have a good understanding of schools, students and teaching. Graduates rated the emphasis on building theory-practice links a core strength of the program. The support received by candidates was praised. ACER found that over 90% of primary and secondary graduates reported being ‘well’ or ‘very well’ prepared when they began teaching the evaluation of the Early Childhood stream reported even higher self-reported levels of preparedness.

This paper supports the principle of considering teaching as a clinical practice profession, and that the approach enables graduates to enter the profession with greater professional knowledge and skills than is the case with ‘traditional’ models. It also addresses the institutional and systemic shifts required by this model of teacher education.

Authors

• Larissa McLean Davies, The University of Melbourne

• Stephen K. Dinham, University of Melbourne

• Melody Anderson, University of Melbourne

• Jane Page, The University of Melbourne

• Daniela Acquaro, The University of Melbourne

• Field Winston Rickards, The University of Melbourne