Response to the Teacher Education Expert Panel discussion paper on improving initial teacher education.
The review of existing practices of higher education providers’ delivery of initial teacher education programs is of national importance given the current challenges posed by the national teacher shortage.
To ensure graduating teachers are better prepared for the classroom, ISA supports improving the quality of initial teacher education programs and placements by:
- providing clearer guidelines to supervising teachers as to their role and expectations of the student’s practicum
- investigating the design of practicums, their duration and exploring the possibility of traineeships/internships/apprenticeships in schools
- greater student supervision, advice, and support from universities for teacher education students when on placement
- developing stronger partnerships between teacher education providers and schools
- developing nationally consistent core elements for every teacher education program.