Giving a Listening Ear: Male Student Teachers’ Experiences and Perspectives of Practicum Supervision

Exploring the minute number of male teachers within the classroom is certainly not a new discourse as teaching has increasingly become a feminised profession. Therefore, as male student teachers take on the challenge of becoming teachers, it is imperative that we listen to them as they recount their supervision experiences. These experiences are significantly influenced and impacted by teacher educators and cooperating teachers who are tasked with the responsibility to provide high quality and effective supervision, especially during teaching practicum. Additionally, acknowledging that to attain positive outcomes attached to student teaching experiences, Hunt et al. (2015) have reasoned that teaching practicum is essential in the process of developing quality teachers. Thus, the quality of supervision male student teachers need is heavily dependent on the capacity and expertise of those who supervise them. However, Slick (as cited in Bates & Burbank, 2008) posited that within teacher training programmes and colleges, student teacher supervision is not highly regarded. The purpose, therefore, of this study was to explore, through a phenomenological qualitative nature, the experiences, and perceptions that three final year male student teachers have of the quality and level of supervision they received from college supervisors and cooperating teachers throughout teaching practicum. The insights shared, therefore, provide a reference point to influence the practice and dispositions of college supervisors and cooperating teachers. Additionally, this study provides a premise to conduct additional studies of male student teachers’ experiences and perceptions of teaching practicum and supervision, especially within the Jamaican context.

Towards developing library and information science practicum supervision competency framework

The purpose of this article is to discuss competencies required for practicum supervision within the field of library and information science (LIS) education. In doing so, this study attempts to propose Practicum Supervision Competencies Framework for professionals working in libraries and similar information organisations. The study aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on supervision of experiential learning programmes such as practicum and internships in the field of library and information science. Constructivist Grounded Theory approach was used for collection and analysis of data. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 43 participants that included library and information science professionals and students. Using constant comparative method, suggested in the Constructivist Grounded Theory literature, the components of the framework were developed and then validated and strengthened through the literature on competencies for library and information science professionals. Qualitative data analysis software NVivo 12 pro was used to support coding, category development and constant comparison methods in the data analysis process. Results of this study propose a framework for library and information science practicum supervision competencies and signify its importance for the academia and industry. The proposed framework is composed of five distinct but interrelated components, that is, Interactive, Management, Pedagogical, Professional and Technology which are important for practicum supervision in the field of LIS. The study also discusses empirical insights about the significance of research on practicum supervision within the field of library and information science as a distinct area. Practical implication of research encompasses several dimensions: methodological, theoretical, managerial and academic. For example, the framework should attempt to help better understand gaps between potential and actual competencies required by practicum supervisors in the field of library and information science. Research results may lack generalisability because of the chosen research method. However, researchers in other regions of the world are encouraged to test the proposed framework further.

A Revolutionized Model for Teaching Practicum and Assessment

Teaching practicum is an integral feature of any education-based program. Teaching competency, expertise, and quality are developed and refined during the practicum, as a form to assess these teachers to-be. Traditionally, it is conducted with the supervisors visiting the supervisees' schools for observations of the teaching and learning activities in class. Tapping on the advent of technology, researchers from USIM have innovated this practice through an online practicum supervision tool called electronic practicum assessment model (e-PRASMO). After undergoing two rounds of research and improvisation, e-PRASMO embodies the strengths of its innovation and practicality: cost effectiveness, stress-free environment, flexibility, technological enhancement, reflexivity, and accessibility. It also espouses the framework of the 3 P's model by Biggs, showing the amalgamation of both the online and traditional teaching practicum activities. With more uniqueness offered by e-PRASMO, it becomes a revolutionized innovation for practicum method and assessment aligned with the current era.

Effectiveness of Practicum Supervision as Perceived by Hispanic Undergraduate Rehabilitation Services Students

Practica are integral to the culmination of systematic learning in higher education, particularly in fields such as health sciences and human services. For undergraduate rehabilitation services students, these placements typically mark the first-time students apply textbook knowledge to real life situations. Therefore, effective site supervision is an important part of the undergraduate field experience. The purpose of the present study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of undergraduate rehabilitation services practicum site supervision. The sample consisted of 154 Hispanic undergraduate rehabilitation services students. The findings show that students were satisfied with the supervision they received. Students also rated the competency of their site supervisors to provide effective supervision as high. Suggestions for future research, and implications for rehabilitation services educators and site supervisors are discussed.

School Practicum Supervision: Encouraging A Successful Experience and A Positive Attitude

Public school practicum is an extraordinary experience for graduate students. Regardless of where students see themselves working after graduation, there is much to be learned about children in the educational environment, and how speech-language services are delivered in the most natural of all settings. This unique perspective will be invaluable in planning treatments that merge a focus on communication needs with a realistic understanding of how the child is part of the entire educational milieu. Appropriate supervision during the school practicum maximizes the student teacher's experience both during student teaching, and as a future form of reference. The purpose of this paper is to describe a successful school practicum program.