international student teaching: linkage for change

Innovative Higher Education, 11(2), Spring/Summer 1987

International Student Teaching: Linkage for Change

Leonard Williams and Royston Kelleher

ABSTRACT: This article explores the extent to which an overseas student teaching practicum avoids the problem of assimilation inherent in traditional programs of school practice for preservice teachers. Overseas programs of student teaching may be effective vehicles for cross-fertilization of pedagogical ideas and for fostering innovation and change.

Introduct ion

Those involved in the provision of field experiences for preservice teachers are faced with a fundamental dilemma. On one hand, they are charged with the responsibility of preparing teachers for the reality of classrooms and schools as they are presently constituted; on the other hand, they must at tempt to avoid the obvious pitfall of so thoroughly socializing neophytes into the methods and procedures of existing practice tha t those entering the profession fail to be sources of new ideas and innovative practices.

Much of the existing research evidence regarding the impact of field experiences suggests that students undergo an assimilation into the tradit ional patterns of the established system. During field experiences, student teacher att i tudes toward education become more con- gruent with atti tudes held by cooperating school personnel (Iannac- cone and Button, 1964; Kaltsounis and Nelson, 1968; Zeichner and Tabachnick, 1981; and Goodman, 1986). Salzello and Van Fleet (1977) succinctly highlight this dilemma:

The largest unvalidated segment of professional education programs is the student teaching area. The only function of student teaching which has been identified by research studies is one of socialization into the profession and into the existing arrangements of the schooling bureau- cracy. To our knowledge, no study has shown conclusively that student teaching has any unique educational component other than assimilation. Teacher education institutions are, at least partially, defeating their own purposes, when student teaching is allowed to become simply an exercise in adapting new personnel into old patterns. (p. 27)

Joyce and Clift (1984) stress the need for teacher education programs which mainta in balance between enabling student teachers to

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International Student Teaching: Linkage for Change 85

relate effectively in today's schools while ensuring that existing practices are not frozen into obsolescence. One possible way of avoiding ex- cessively stultifying socialization is to place student teachers in school systems and classrooms where institutional procedures and instructional practices are different from those they have previously experienced. Exposure to an alternative system may challenge student teachers to rethink their basic assumptions about education and to question previously unquestioned practices. It may result, as well, in the creation of a new synthesis combining elements of school practices known as a result Of being a pupil for thirteen years, and those new practices to which one is exposed during the alternative student teaching practicum.

International s tudent teaching would seem to provide such an oppor- tunity. However, not all international cross-cultural immersions will necessarily achieve these outcomes. In order to promote change in desired directions, the overseas setting must provide exposure to models consistent with the desired change. For example, it would seem self- evident that if we are at tempting to implement a greater degree of individualized instruction in our system, then exposing student teachers to systems utilizing individualized instruction would be appropriate. Hence, while overseas student teaching may serve such broad general purposes as the personal and professional development of student teachers, the development of world-mindedness and the lessening of ethnocentrism, it also has the potential to facilitate specific changes in the home/school system. Students who have been exposed to alternative instructional practices, and who have had concrete, practical experiences in the implementation of those practices may be better able to cope with the complexities of implementation in the home environ- ment.

This paper is the report of a follow-up study of graduates of one overseas student teaching program. The study attempts to determine the extent of transfer of educational practices upon return to the home en- vironment. In other words, as a result of the cross-cultural experience, to what extent did student teachers implement or initiate change upon their return?

The Program

The 1970, Memorial Universi ty of Newfoundland, a medium-sized universi ty in Eastern Canada, established a branch campus in a town approximately twenty miles north of London in Essex County, Eng-

86 INNOVATIVE HIGHER EDUCATION

land. The campus, consisting of a student residence designed to house approximately 30 students, as well as nearby accommodation for 4 pro- fessors, was established to provide opportunities which were either not available in the home setting or to supplement the activities of the main campus. Since September 1973, this facility has been utilized to offer an overseas student teaching program for students in the Faculty of Education.

Those students seeking an overseas assignment must, in the first in- stance, apply for the student teaching program per se and, if accepted, are placed in schools in England. In all respects, entrance require- ments for this program are similar to those of the home based program. Students must be in clear academic standing (i.e. not on academic pro- bation), must have completed a set of prerequisite courses and must have had an interview with a member of the Division of Student Teaching of the Faculty of Education.

The student teaching program in England is supervised by a member of the faculty of the Student Teaching Division. The role of the overseas student teaching supervisor is similar to that in Newfound- land. The main functions of that role include arranging for student teaching placements, briefing of the cooperating teachers regarding various elements of the program, observing the student teacher at work, sharing in the final evaluation of the student and generally pro- moting the professional development of the student teacher wherever possible.

After an orientation period of approximately one week on the main campus in Newfoundland, students travel to England. Following their arrival they are given time for orientation and familiarization and are then assigned to their cooperating schools. Thereafter, they spend 4 days per week in a public school classroom and 1 day on field trips to various instructions or agencies which are considered to be instrumen- tal in the professional development of the prospective teacher.

Early in the term, emphasis is placed on observation of school and classroom activities. The proportion of time spent in observation is gradually reduced as the student assumes more responsibility for classroom teaching. By midterm, students are teaching approximately 21/2 hours each day, the same as in the home based program. Normally that level of teaching is maintained until the end of the student teaching term.

Comparisons Between the British and the Home Based School Settings

No systematic attempts have been made to delineate the major contrasts between the Newfoundland and the British school systems.


Kelleher (1973) compared curricular decision making in the two systems. The Newfoundland school system was seen as being more highly centralized than the British system. This decentralization in England resulted in greater teacher autonomy with regard to stipulation of ob- jectives, selection of materials, establishment of varied patterns of pupil organization, and evaluation of pupil progress. The major forum for curricula decision making in Britain was the school. By contrast, in the Newfoundland system teacher autonomy was perceived by teachers as being circumscribed by provincially established courses of study, prescribed textbooks, and the existence of common school leaving ex- aminations at the end of secondary school.

The differences are not only apparent in methods of organizational control and administration, but as well, in the ways in which classroom teaching is conducted. The progressive practices of the British primary school, for example, have been lauded worldwide as exemplars of child-centered methodology. The freedom of movement of pupils, the absence of the lock-step graded system, the emphasis on individualiza- tion, the absence of standard texts, and other such practices are at variance with what one would ordinarily experience, with some excep- tions, in Newfoundland primary and elementary schools. Cuff (1973), in a report of the activities of the first group of Newfoundland student teachers in England, characterized infant schools as having the following common features: ". . . they permitted pupils to move around freely. Children worked in small groups, there were no formal class lessons and generally students were doing things rather than listening." The junior schools (pupils between 7 and 11 years of age), to which student teachers were assigned, were characterized by some form of 'integrated program' where there were no clear distinctions among subject areas (p. 13).

Generally speaking, the open education movement as a distinct vari- ation of the progressive theme in educational history emerged first in the primary schools of England. The practices which evolved in that setting have variously been labelled 'the integrated day', 'child-centered education', 'informal teaching' and the 'Lecestershire Plan'. Those developments spurred on by a nationally commissioned report (Plowden, 1966) attracted the attention of many North American edu- cators resulting in a virtual pilgrimage to Britain to observe classrooms first hand. Barth (1972) documents " . . . a substantial literature of 'journals' of these visitors" (p. 9). He further states that evidence suggests that in the mid sixties one third of the primary schools of England were characterized by such open or progressive practices. The evidence he cites is the Plowden Report which suggests that an addi-


tional one-third of British primary schools had been influenced by these ideas to some extent.

Methodology

The data upon which this paper is based were collected during the 1984-85 school year and involved the population of students who had, during the previous ten years, completed their student teaching in British schools. Questionnaires were sent to approximate 190 former students for whom there were known addresses and 161 responded. The questionnaire was designed to solicit students' perceptions of the overall value of the program, its strengths and weaknesses and the extent to which the experience affected their personal and professional lives. This paper focuses on student answers to one question: "Have you in your teaching developed any school and/or classroom practices, activities, or programs as a result of your British experience? If yes, give illustrative example(s)." All student comments in response to the foregoing question were examined to see what general themes or is- sues could be identified.

Findings

Of the 161 former students who completed the mailed questionnaire, 137 indicated they had subsequently taught following completion of the student teaching program in Harlow. Of those, 105 stated they had developed specific educational practices or programs as a result of the experience in British schools. Although a wide-ranging and varied list of practices was identified by students, many of the comments clus- tered around three themes; (a) Individualizing Instruction, (b) The In- tegrated Day/Thematic Teaching and (c) Development of Classroom Learning Centers.

Ind iv idual i z ing Instruct ion

Many students commented on their ability to individualize instruction as a result of their teaching experiences in England. Some students were very general in their comments. They stated only that they had adopted more highly individualized approaches to teaching.


I think my planning reflects a more individualized approach than it might have.

1 was made more aware of meeting individual needs than I had been prior to the program.

1 used more individualized teaching.

I try and cater the curriculum to the individual needs of the students.

O t h e r s t uden t s were more specific in de l inea t ing the ways in which t h e y were able to adopt specific approaches to individual ized ins t ruc- t ion. For example , a n u m b e r of s tuden t s poin ted to the adopt ion of indi- v idua l ized app roaches to the t each ing of reading.

The fol lowing are r e p r e s e n t a t i v e of s tuden t s ' c o m m e n t s wi th respec t to r e a d i n g pract ices:

The reading program in my classroom allowed for children to learn in se- quential steps . . . . . This is something 1 have and will continue to use.

I set up a reading activity room for use by remedial pupils, fully equipped with teacher-made, self-correcting games and activities.

I allow children to choose their own reading materials from library books rather than requiring them to read textbooks.

We have created an individual reading book list. It contains a number of books the children themselves have chosen to read this year, They rated the books and suggested them to their friends. We then placed these books according to theme into various units we studied.

A d o m i n a n t f ea tu re of school ing in ru r a l Newfound land is the mul t i - g r ade c lassroom. Given the geograph ic r ea l i ty of the province and not w i t h s t a n d i n g a move toward cen t ra l schools, t he re still exis ts a l a rge n u m b e r of smal l schools wi th m u l t i g r a d e c lassrooms in ru r a l New- foundland . Some s t uden t t eache r s felt t h a t the i r exper ience in Eng- l and h a d he lped t h e m cope in the i r m u l t i g r a d e t each ing s i tua t ion upon t he i r r e tu rn . The fol lowing a re typica l observa t ions m a d e by s tuden t s wi th respec t to th is exper ience .

In my first year working in a multigrade classroom, I was used to different levels in one room after the British experience.

I gained practical experiences to use in the multigrade class which is closely related to their (British) classes with various levels.

In one teaching position, I did find the grouping system used in England beneficial. I taught in a multigrade school where I was responsible for four grade levels. The setup in the multigrade classroom was quite similar in that respect to my school in England.


Because of the number of grades that I teach at one time my experience in England has been quite helpful. Learning to plan for individual needs has been very useful to me as this type of planning is necessary for my work.

The Integrated Day~Thematic Teaching

At the primary school level many student teachers were exposed to practices variously labeled 'Theme Teaching', 'Topic Teaching', or the 'Integrated Day'. Although these practices differ in some details they share common elements. Chief among these is the integration of subject content from various disciplines utilized to explore topics or themes of interest to pupils. For several years the Newfoundland school system has been moving in this direction. Some teachers indicated tha t their exposure to the British primary school enabled them to more readily appreciate these new directions and to more easily in- troduce them into their own classrooms.

Having experienced a thematic approach in England, I have some sense of the philosophy and practibility of the revised kindergarten program (being introduced into Newfoundland schools).

The teachers at the school I was assigned to were very good at integrat- ing the curriculum, which is a big thing now in our schools. I've been doing it since my return from England.

I have taken some themes such as 'the community' and have incorpo- rated several subjects (art, reading, social studies) in the development of these themes.

I found the British experience very valuable because it helped me become comfortable working with several common groups and with inte- grating several subjects when planning activities.

Development of Learning Centers

One practice which many students seem to have adopted is the estab- l ishment of classroom learning centers. These are designated areas within a classroom equipped with a variety of learning activities and self-instructional materials designed to allow students to pursue particular interests. These centers are commonly used for remediation and enrichment purposes.

The following students' comments indicate this concept was trans- ferable to their Newfoundland teaching situation.


In England there were many centers set up in the classroom each with a definite purpose in mind. This has stayed with me.

I set up learning centers in my classroom for students.

I have sometimes used their ideas in learning centers and organizing classroom activities such as math work and art.

Other Instructional Practices Adopted

In add i t ion to the c lus t e r ing of c o m m e n t s r e g a r d i n g the app l ica t ion of the i n t e g r a t e d day, ind iv idua l i z ing ins t ruc t ion and the d e v e l o p m e n t of l e a r n i n g cen te r s m a n y s tuden t s ident i f ied o the r specific ins t ruc- t iona l p rac t ices adopted as a r e su l t of the Br i t i sh exper ience. M a n y of these p rac t ices r e l a t e to c lass room-leve l act ivi t ies , whi le o thers r e l a t e to school-wide pract ices . Some of the c o m m e n t s r e l a t ed to c lass room- level ac t iv i t ies were:

I have modified activities to some extent along the British games approach and have used movement education in primary creative dances.

I developed a program of independent reading with a group of grade six students who were not coping with the existing program.

I have developed games to supplement math, reading and spelling. We do our own gym periods (in my school) and I have found my experience in England very helpful in planning a program of developing accuracy and coordination skills.

I don't think a day goes by when I don't refer or think back to some aspect of my English experience. I encourage children to write as often as possible and as young as possible. I plan art activities that get away from the rigid gestetner sheets and allow children to be more creative.

General organization of the classroom and development of student responsibility, eg. table leaders are chosen every month and they are responsible for the care and management of the students at their tables.

I have used the hands-on field trip approach often . . . . In teaching social studies in Arnold's Cove I have developed a 'beach' unit as the core of a local community study.

As a result of my English experience I make play an integral part of the school day.

A n u m b e r of s t uden t s r epor ted on t he i r efforts to h a v e schoolwide p rac t i ces in i t ia ted .

I was so impressed with how well the assemblies were carried out in the school I was attached to in England that I encouraged the school I began


teaching in to improve their assemblies. Each class became responsible for conducting one assembly throughout the year.

From an administrative viewpoint I am trying to convince my school to adopt a homeroom advisory system similar to what existed at my school in England.

After obtaining the pictogram system developed by Lyn Wendon in Cam- bridge I was able to adapt it to Newfoundland and give several inservice sessions on it.

I run a math club similar to the one organized in my school in England.

Conclus ion

The assimilative nature of the traditional student teaching practicum has been extensively documented in the l i terature surrounding teaching education. The problem is compounded by the fact that most students re turn to school systems similar to ones with which they are already familiar (albeit from the viewpoint of a K-12 pupil) to complete their student teaching experience. One of the central dilemmas of teacher education then, is the challenge of providing a field experience which results in the competence to deal with the exigencies of the system as it exists, but which at the same time, fosters a reflectivity about the deficits inherent in tha t system and a sense of efficacy on the part of the prospective teacher in ameliorating those deficits.

The student teaching imperative then, lies in the creation of a dia- lectic between the system already known to the student and one too easily mimicked or modeled, and exposure to a school system which is sufficiently different thereby enabling the student to create a new system of thought regarding the manner in which schooling is to proceed.

Although not conclusive, these research findings indicate tha t some of the graduates of this particular program are, in fact, quite sympa- thetic to the implementation of innovation and change in the schools in which they eventually teach. Perhaps this point cannot be more forcefully made than in the following words of one of the graduates of the program.

The most basic, and in many ways the most important, observation I can make is that often (too often) we accept things as they are and continue to do them as they have always been done. This is natural and thus the term 'the course of least resistance'. However, the role of education is to stimulate individual thought--to promote analytical thinking.


In my view, the Engl i sh experience grea t ly increases the l ikel ihood of a young, a sp i r ing teacher j umping from an in tegra t ion or b lending into "the system", to an in te l l igen t ana lys is of wha t is and being able to con- t r ibu te to a more progress ive mode of teaching.

Bibliography

Barth, R. S. Open Education and the American School. New York: Agathon Press Inc., 1972

Cuff, H. "Newfoundlanders Getting Teaching Practice in England." Newfoundland Quarterly, 1973, 69, March, 8:16.

Goodman, J. "Field Based Experience: A Study of Social Control and Student Teachers, Response to Institutional Constraints." Distinguished Research on Teacher Educa- tion Presentation, Association of Teacher Educations, Atlanta, 1986.

Iannaccone, L., & Button, N. Functions of Student Teaching: Attitude Formation and Initiation in Elementary Student Teaching (CRP Report 106). Washington, D.C.: United States Office of Education, 1964.

Joyce, B., &Clift , R. "The Phoenix Agenda: Essential Reform in Teacher Education." Educational Researcher, 1984, 19, 277-281.

Kaltsounis, T., & Nelson, J. "The Mythology of Student Teaching." Journal of Teacher Education, 1968, 19, 277-281.

Kelleher, R. A Comparison of Curricular Decision-Making in England and Newfound- land; an Internship Report Presented to the Faculty of Education, Memorial Univer- sity of Newfoundland (Unpublished Master's Thesis, Memorial University of New- foundland) 1973.

Martinello, M.L. A Trans-Atlantic Quest: Reflections on Practice Teaching in Lanca- shire, England (Eric Document 094853), 1973.

Plowden, Lady B., et al. Children and Their Primary Schools: A Report to the Central Ad- visory Council in Education. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1966.

Salzello, F., & Van Fleet, A. "Student Teaching and Teacher Education: A Sociological Model for Change." Journal of Teacher Education, 1977, 28, 27-41.

Zeichner, K.M., and Tabachnick, B.R. "Are the Effects of University Teacher Education 'Washed Out' by the School Experience?" Journal of Teacher Education, 1981, 32, 7-13.

international student teaching: linkage for change

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