• Dr. Kerryn McCluskey, from the University of Queensland, said that besides quickly connecting students to teaching practice, practicum since first year of program helps students to determine on their vocation.

During the International Seminar “Evaluation of Professional Practice in Early Teacher Training: An Overview form the Australian Model”, Dr. Kerryn McCluskey, the Director of the Secondary Program in the School of Education at the University of Queensland, Australia, explained the teacher professional training program design developed by that University. In this program, through implementing early practicums, education students get in contact with the class since first semester.

“Until pre-service teachers go to schools, they do not know if this is what they really want or the way of connecting what they do on campus with real life,” says Dr. McCluskey. She added that, in some cases, it takes years before students understand and connect the theoretical knowledge given by the university with teaching practice in the classroom.

For this purpose, the program that she directs organizes teaching practicums since first semester, for ten days, where students attend classes as observers. Then, as they move forward in their training, they have more practice periods and also more interaction with learners in terms of academic support, which can be measured according to the corresponding abilities and competences.

According to the expert, the difficulties posed by the model lie in the disposition shown by guiding teachers and supervisors who accompany the student during this process in schools and at the university, as the model demands personalized attention.

While visiting Universidad de Santiago, Dr. Kerryn McCluskey emphasized that there are not perfect models, but she trusts that after exchanging experiences, education students in Chile may have access to teaching practicums a little earlier.

This international seminar was organized by the Department of Education of the Faculty of Humanities and for his Director, Dr. Daniel Ríos, the experience shared by the Australian expert was very positive.

“It was a good opportunity to share information about this significant issue, not only for the Department or the University, but for all the country, as it concerns teacher training,” the director said. He added that practicums are still the big connection between theory and practice, so it is essential to think about ways of improving them and strengthening them. He said it is an essential issue as right now “there is a discussion in the University about early teacher training.”

Dr. Ríos emphasized the collaborative view provided by this type of activities to open a broad reflection regarding professional practices during early teacher training. For this reason, representatives from other universities and from schools that have admitted our teaching practicing students were invited to the seminar. “We are very pleased because this has helped us to reflect on this issue, exchange ideas and experiences and continue along the line of learning communities,” he concluded.
 

Translated by Marcela Contreras