A teacher training program: Mitka and Banda

Ross Woods, 2021, '22

These two studies are evaluations of the same teacher training program in Malawi, and make many of the same observations. It seems that difficulties were not remedied in the period from 2011 to 2017. Nevertheless, their insights are most helpful in planning progams in similar circumstances, and they are significant for the following reasons:

1. They refer to the mixed mode delivery of a professional qualification (school teaching).
2. The program uses learn by doing practicum principles.
3. The location is a developing country where most students are placed in rural settings.
4. The program seems to be well planned but the two authors report pitfalls that were probably not foreseeable during planning.

Delivery had no online component and comprised two weeks annually on campus with face-to-face sessions during school holidays, individual activities outlined in the student teachers’ modules, and school-based teaching practice. Moreover, college lecturers were supposed to supervise and assess school-based teaching practice, and field supervisors were supposed to oversee school-based learning support systems. (Banda)

Mtika reports that The college has a two-phase teaching practicum and each phase lasts for six weeks. The first phase takes place at the end of second year while the second phase takes place at the end of third year. (p. 555).

Mtika

Credit allocation. Students disliked the way credits were allocated. They earned most of their credit in two weeks on campus, but a full year of practicum produced very little.

Role ambiguity. Students were trainees but were expected to take roles as if they were qualified teachers or stop gap (supply) teachers. The schools used them as teachers, not as people learning to teach.

Teaching methods. It was difficult for students to acquire skills in learner-centred pedagogy using social constructivist philosophy. Neither teacher educators or teachers modelled it, and school pupils were not familiar with it. Moreover, school curriclula were focussed on rote memorization to pass examinations.

Integration. It would be better to establish clear links with teachers and give them training. Better integration would set clear roles for students, define relationships, and get agreement on them.

Schools should become laboratories.The coaching relationship should also benefit teachers by creating opportunities for life-long learning through dialog with trainee teachers and college supervisors. Students should have opportunity to inquire, to try and test new ideas, and to talk about teaching and learning in new ways.

Grace Mkandawire Banda

Banda’s paper is a study of the same program, and she makes many of the same observations as Mtika. It seems that difficulties were not remedied in the period from 2011 to 2017. She also adds the following points.

Time. Workload was excessive during both the on-campus and off-campus components. Classroom teaching took up much of students’ time, not study. Two weeks was probably inadequate to cover the syllabus content.

Materials. Materials need to be good, that is, easy to understand. Students did not receive all study materials in time to complete assignments. Students also lacked teaching and learning resources in the off-campus component. Students had no library at the schools in which they were placed, were not close to the college library, and lacked Internet facilities.

Payment. Students were paid, but payments were often late.

Face-to-face. The face-to-face component was essential, and being on campus was good. However, the food needed to be better.

Placement. Most students liked the idea of being posted to schools in their home areas, but it could result in extra family responsibilities. As schools were understaffed, student teachers were asked to teach very large classes and to teach subjects that they were not qualified to teach.

Lack of local support. Some head teachers and off-campus supervisors did not support (i.e., coach) students. Some off-campus supervisors were not even willing to help students. Some qualified teachers already in schools helped the student teachers, while others did not. Some teachers did not know how they could help students. Both college and school could presume that support was the other’s role.

Role ambiguity. Schools had some role confusion regarding trainee teachers; students were perceived as volunteers and not as real teachers.

Implications for online professional degree programs with practicum components

1. The leadership need a way to enforce and monitor roles, responsibilities, and workloads
2. Supervison
1. How can supervisors ensure enough effective communication with student and schools?
2. Can supervisors ensure that they will meet people teachers and students and have enough time with them?
3. For supervisors, traveling to remote and regional schools can be difficult. Scheduling can be difficult. and travel can be tiring, expensive, and time-consuming, especially where roads are not good.
4. Who is a good mentor?
5. Who can students safely open up to when they have difficulties?
6. It cannot be assumed that people will always gets it right. This applies to the college, the local appointed supervisor, the school principal, other teachers, and students. Any of them could be wrong in a particular situation. Besides “wrong” also depends on perspective.
3. How much of the following is needed:
1. reporting,
2. evaluation of local schools as training locations,
3. assessment of student progress, including assessment of competency achievement,
4. regular evaluation of the program at both whole-of-program and local levels, including ensuring that recommended improvements are made?
4. How do you ensure adequate and appropriate school facilities, class sizes, and local resources? Should schools have to qualify to get trainee teaches?
5. Time vss. credit is less difficult if the program is competency-based.
6. In some places, teachers must be licensed and trainees can only work under supervision.
7. Persons in all professions face the ethical requirement to work within their abilities.
8. Where does the student get a sense of community working with peers?
9. How good is the school curriculum? E.g.
1. Some curricula are not age-appropriate, such as written assignments in kindergarten.
2. Does it encourage understanding and creativity?
10. How easy will it be to fix problems after the pilot group?
11. Should students be exposed to multiple schools?

References

Banda, Grace Mkandawire. 2017. “Students’ perceptions of the open and distance learning mode for initial primary teacher training in Malawi: A case of Lilongwe Teachers’ College” Journal of Research in Open, Distance and eLearning Volume 1, Issue 1.

P. Mtika, 2011. “Trainee teachers’ experiences of teaching practicum: Issues, challenges, and new possibilities’, Africa Education Review, 8:3, 551-567.