A comparison of student teacher learning from practice in university-affiliated schools in Helsinki and Johannesburg

ABSTRACT

In a comparative study of student teachers in Finland and South Africa, the researchers aimed to capture students’ views of how and what they had learned from practice in two university-affiliated primary schools. With data from survey questionnaires, we found that students in the two customized programmes accentuated different domains of teacher knowledge. The newly established teaching practice school in Johannesburg afforded closer integration of university and school practicum experiences for students than the well-established school in Helsinki. The authors conclude that an innovative teacher education model can be re-invented in a significantly different context and also add new dimensions to the original.

KEYWORDS:

• Primary school teacher education
• practice-theory integration
• achieved curriculum
• university-affiliated practice schools
• transferring a teacher education model

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a South African National Research Foundation Collaborative grant with Finland [UID85731]

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. This practice of using tools such as the Annual National Assessments in numeracy and literacy in grades 1–6 and grade 9, has been criticized by teacher unions and this practice has been put on hold pending a review of the system.

2. South African students usually speak one or more of 11 official languages and for most students, English remains a second or even a third language, although it is the official language of teaching and learning at the Johannesburg university.

3. In a recent translation of test items (Henning et al. 2018) it was evident that adverbial and prepositional translations into Sesotho and isiZulu posed problems.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) [UID85731].

Notes on contributors

Jari Lavonen

Jari Lavonen is a Professor of Science Education and a Director of the Department of Educational sciences at the University of Helsinki, Finland and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He is a director of National Teacher Education Forum and member of the steering committee of the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre. He has been researching science and technology education and teacher education for the last 31 years and his main research interests are science and technology teaching and learning, curriculum development, teacher education and use of ICT in education.

Elizabeth Henning

Elizabeth Henning is professor of Educational Linguistics at the University of Johannesburg and South Africa Research Chair of National Research Foundation. She leads research in the intersect of language and early number concept development and mathematical cognition of young children. She is the editor of the South African Journal of Childhood Education (www.sajce.co.za).

Nadine Petersen

Nadine Petersen is professor and the Vice Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. She researches student teachers learning in a teaching school and their engagement with social justice and care in service learning.

Anni Loukomies

Anni Loukomies (PhD, MA (Ed)) is a lecturer and teacher educator in the Viikki Teacher Training School, University of Helsinki. She is a research associate of the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. Her main research interests are pupils’ motivation and interest in science learning and pre-service teacher education.

Ari Myllyviita

Ari Myllyviita specializes in using ICT and social media in mentoring and teaching chemistry. He is a research associate of the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg.