The role of internship in the professional growth of teachers
Ross Muller, Ross Brooker, Aliisa Mylonas, Graham Nimmo, Brian Hansford,
Trish Brandon, QUT
The practice of students undertaking a more intensive practicum in their
final semester of preparation, is growing in Australian teacher education
programs. It has been argued that such an internship, in which the student
(as associate teacher) takes greater responsibility for the teaching and
learning process than in a regular practicum, provides a unique opportunity
for professional growth immediately prior to beginning teaching. This paper
reports on the outcomes of an internship program in one Australian university
teacher education faculty. Data were collected from both the associate teachers
and their mentors using a questionnaire with both likert scale and open
ended questions. While some concerns were expressed about the internship,
both the associate teachers and their mentors reported that the internship
experience facilitated substantial professional growth on a range of teaching
criteria.
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