Using professional standards: Assessing work integrated learning in initial teacher education: Final report 2013

All Australian teacher preparation programs must include practical experience - the practicum. It is a critical part of learning to become a teacher. One of the major challenges in initial teacher education is to provide good quality assessment of the practicum. Assessing the practicum is filled with tension for both the individual supervising teacher as well as the preservice teacher. In 2011 the Australian National Professional Standards for Teachers were established. On completion of teacher preparation programs, graduate teachers will have gained the knowledge and practice to meet the seven national standards. For teacher preparation programs, the successful implementation of the standards will rely on the opportunities for preservice teachers to gather evidence of achieving the standards. This project focused specifically on evidence of achievements of these standards through assessment practices during the practicum.