Teaching teachers

An interesting op ed by Massey Pro Vice-Chancellor James Chapman on proposed changes to teacher training:

Massey University is about to undertake a quiet revolution in the way we educate teachers. We are cutting our ties with the past and forging ahead with changes that will bring Massey’s teacher education in line with some of the best education institutions around the world.

From next year we will focus all our teacher education at the graduate/postgraduate level and phase out teaching in our three- and four-year undergraduate degrees.

For what it is worth, I think it is better for teachers to gain a general degree, and then a teaching diploma on top of that.

The changes we are making at Massey to focus on graduate/postgraduate teaching, will start to address these issues by taking the teachers to that next level. As graduates and postgraduates, our students will be able to progress to masters and doctoral degrees and will be well positioned to move up the career ladder and assist those entering the profession.

The advantage of graduate and postgraduate teacher education is that the students have already qualified in a wide variety of degrees – sociology, psychology, maths, science, technology, the arts, Maori studies etc – and they bring those specialist skills and the ability to apply them.

It is a long time since I was at university, but I do recall that the numeracy requirements for those doing teaching was massively below even first year maths. I would have placed it around school cert level.

One of the arguments repeatedly put forward against this move is that it is not possible to prepare a teacher in one year.

That misrepresents what we are doing. Those completing the graduate diploma path have already studied for a minimum of four years and will undertake a further two years of professional practice before becoming fully registered.

Around half of all graduates entering primary teaching come through the graduate diploma route; that rises to more than 80 per cent for the secondary sector.

We know graduates from our graduate diploma programmes are well-regarded. They have higher completion rates and higher rates of employment and registration than those going through undergraduate programmes.

Not often I have praise for Massey University Education Department, but I do think this is a good move.