Examining Professional Learning and the Preparation of Professionally Competent Teachers in Initial Teacher Education
Source: Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 54-69
The current paper reports a mixed-methods study showing the relationship between student teachers’ engagement with the practical and conceptual aspects of a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Programme in Hong Kong and different facets of their perceived professional competence.
The participants were one hundred and thirty-two student teachers, who completed a quantitative survey of whom seven were interviewed.
The results show that experiences associated with learning the pragmatic facets of professional practice were more valued by student teachers compared to learning the conceptual aspects of initial teacher education (ITE). Yet, in terms of relationship with professional competence, student teachers’ engagement with the practical aspects of ITE was related to competence in classroom teaching, whereas their engagement with the conceptual aspects contributed to their mastery of professional knowledge, competence in classroom teaching and competence in interacting with stakeholders.