Practice teaching programs in Canadian colleges and universities

Abstract

This study has been undertaken to provide, under one cover, a description of practice teaching throughout Canada as well as to express an informed opinion concerning the essentials of a suitable practice teaching program. To prevent the work from becoming unwieldy, it was necessary to set limits concerning the sources from which the necessary information should be drawn. It was determined that only those institutions whose primary language of instruction was English and which grant the Bachelor of Education degree or its equivalent should be dealt with. Twenty-one such institutions presently fall within these limits. Unfortunately, the necessary information has not been obtained from two of these. A third less strict line was drawn between practice teaching programs devoted to training secondary school teachers and those concerned with elementary education. For the most part, the programs described are those dealing with students aspiring to secondary school teaching. Where it was necessary to write of practice teaching in elementary schools, explicit reference is made to this fact. In addition, not all the aspects of programs at these institutions are dealt with. However, an attempt is made concerning the essential elements of each. The intention is to deal with the following aspects of a practice teaching program: (1) time spent in both observation and practice teaching, (2) supervision of student teachers by university staff, (3) reports of cooperating teachers, (4) evaluation of student teachers, and (5) classes and texts relating to the practice teaching program. In every case, information covering these five points was not always available. In others, much more than this is readily obtainable and has been presented in respect of its importance.