2016 Volume 25 Pages 126-130
The purpose of this paper is to suggest some ways for improving the Practical Teaching Experience (PTE) at schools in Japan by sharing insights garnered from examining the four-year Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program in the Professional Development School (PDS) at Illinois State University (ISU) in the United States.
For this study, ISU classes and lectures, PTEs, and the in-the-field interaction between an ISU supervisor of the Middle Education Course and his students were observed for two weeks each in two visits. Moreover, a structured group interview with the eighteen trainees about their PTEs was conducted.
The following are the features of PTE at PDS in ISU:
(1) PTE is implemented throughout the year in Year 4 at one specific placement school under the supervision of one specific university tutor and cooperating teacher at the school.
(2) Trainee students go back and forth between the university and their placement schools during their PTE period. Not only the cooperating teacher but also the university tutor provides time-consuming guidance, including reflective activities, by discussing their lessons in the post-lesson observation sessions.
(3) Trainee students are assessed by ITE standards officially set by ISU.
Being based on the aforementioned three points and research results, the following suggestions for improving PTE in Japan can be offered:
1. Introduce a whole year PTE program, with official teaching standards for qualified teacher status, which enables trainee students to study theoretical features at a university even during the PTE period. In addition, ensure that university tutors have sufficient time to supervise their trainee students during the PTE period.
2. Place the initial focus of the ITE on practice, while providing trainee students with ways to understand theory through practice. Specifically in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice, trainee students need to have chances to learn the relation between theory and practice by deducing theoretical knowledge from practical knowledge.
