SPriTE WP01JOENSUU
PART 1: COMPETENCIES DESCRIBED IN TEACHER’S PEDAGOGICAL STUDIES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF JOENSUU
There is not any nationally approved competence list for teacher profession in Finland. Each university with their faculties can decide upon teacher education curricula. However, we can explicitly or implicitly recognize the competencies in curricular documents.
The competences that has been set as the aims of teacher’s pedagogical studies (60 cp) at the Faculty of Education in the University of Joensuu:
wide qualification for teaching at the different levels and sectors of education system, in other words qualification for working with pupils and students of different age
qualification for planning, implementing and evaluating teaching
qualification for research-based developing of teaching
qualification for cooperating with the different staff-groups of the school-community, pupils´ families and educational administration
knowledge, skills and understanding of didactic and psychological basics of learning and teaching
knowledge, skills and understandingof the ethical and philosophical basics of being a teacher and an educator
knowledge, skills and understanding for active use of ICT in the profession of a teacher
qualification for pedagogic interaction, for developing teacher’s profession (teacherhood), for planning, implementing and evaluating teaching on the basis of considering the age, individuality and different backgrounds of pupils and students, the curricula and the school community
qualification for research-based development work of own teaching and learning and teacher’s profession / own teacherhood
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Excerpts from the text (unofficial translation):
The pedagogical studies consist of three modules in which there are at least one teaching practice period in each. The aim is to create tight connections between theoretic-conceptual studiesand teaching practice periods with the help of learning assignments and reflective discussion, which helps student teachersanalyze theirown experiences and to use these experiences as the foundation of their further learning.
The aim of the teaching practice is to support student teachers’ growth towards exploring, developing and evaluating professional of teaching and learning and to be able to critically and reflectivelyobserve her/his own activity and interaction in teaching and learning situations.
The supervised teaching practice creates qualification for meeting learners of different age and background andlearning abilities, and to teach, tutor and educate these learners in accordance with the goals of the education system.
PART 2: GUIDELINES WHEN EVALUATING TEACHING PRACTICE IN THE JOENSUUUNIVERSITYPRACTICESCHOOL
Orientative Teaching Practice 3 ects
Basic Teaching Practice5 ects
Field Practice4 ects (evaluated by “ordinary” school teachers)
Advanced Student Teaching8 ects
General Goals of the Teaching Practice
Teaching practice plays a central role in achieving the general goals of teacher education. The practice periods have been divided into four periods with their own profiles. The practice is graded passed / to be supplemented / failed.
Orientative Teaching Practice
Guided observation
The student teacher observes independently interaction in study groups, the teacher’s actions and the structure of lessons and teaching methods.
Working as an assistant teacher, planning and carrying out parts of lessons
Planning is target-oriented. In the planning the student teacher makes use of the supervising and the interaction with co-students. The student teacher’s actions are natural and he is capable of co-operation. Through his observations the student teacher aims at developing interactive situations.
Attitudes to professional development and reflection skills
The student teacher takes responsibility of the practice and aims at fulfilling the goals. The student teacher begins the reflective self-assessment process of his values, attitudes and presumptions.
Reporting and Portfolio of the Orientative Teaching Practice
The report is comprehensive and the portfolio work is purposeful.
Basic Teaching Practice
Planning
The student teacher makes target-oriented lesson plans and uses purposeful teaching material.
Content knowledge needed in teaching and its pedagogical adaptation
The student teacher’s content knowledge in the teaching subject is adequate. The student tries different teaching methods and pays attention to the learning needs in his teaching groups. The student teacher uses information technology with purpose.
Interaction
The student teacher’s actions are natural, goal-directed and co-operative. The student teacher aims at developing interactive situations initiatively. The student sees the lesson as a shared responsibility.
Evaluation skills
The student teacher is capable of using the essential evaluation skills in his subject.
Attitudes to professional development and reflection skills
The student teacher reflects his own learning, sets new goals and is able of learning from his experience. The student teacher takes responsibility of the practice and aims at fulfilling the goals. The student teacher is aware of his values, attitudes and presumptions.
Reporting and Portfolio of the Orientative Teaching Practice
The report is comprehensive and the portfolio work is purposeful.
Advanced Student Teaching
Planning
The planning and carrying out the lessons are balanced and the student teacher is capable of changing the plans when needed. The student teacher is capable of taking theoretical pedagogical viewpoints into account.
Content knowledge needed in teaching and its pedagogical adaptation
The student teacher is capable of paying attention to the essential demands in learning situations. The student teacher knows how to use versatile working and teaching methods, including information technology.
Conducting the lesson
The student teacher’s actions are natural, goal-directed and co-operative. The student teacher aims at developing interactive situations initiatively and pays attention to the emotional climate in the classroom. The student teacher recognizes different learning needs in the classroom and knows how to differentiate his teaching according to the pupils’ abilities and traits. The student teacher is capable of changing his behaviour based on the feedback from the pupils. The student teacher sees the lesson as a shared responsibility.
Evaluating the learning of students and pupils
The student teacher is capable of evaluating the progress of students and pupils. The student teacher uses versatile evaluating methods.
Attitudes to professional development and reflection skills
The student teacher reflects his own learning, sets new goals and is able of learning from his experience. The student teacher takes responsibility of the practice and aims at fulfilling the goals. The student teacher is interested in his own professional development. The student teacher is aware of his values, attitudes and presumptions.
Reporting and compiling the sample portfolio
The sample portfolio is carefully done and introduced. It contains the student teacher’s progress and knowledge in a versatile and thorough way.
The adaptation of experimental learning or teaching experiment
Planning, implementing, evaluation and reporting are carefully carried out.
SPriTE, WP01, Joensuu / Kari Sormunen & Ritva Kantelinen,20.12.2007 / Raija Kangaspunta & Petri Salo 22.1.2008
SPriTE WP01JOENSUU
SPriTE, WP01, Joensuu / Kari Sormunen & Ritva Kantelinen,20.12.2007 / Raija Kangaspunta & Petri Salo 22.1.2008