The Status of Professional Studies in Teacher Education : Conflicts Between Intentions and Structures in a College of Education / Keir Foss.

This is the report of a study that examined the impact of the institutional structure on the development of the professional studies course at one college, the influence it had on the staff and student commitment and perception of relevance, and the way the structure affected the nature of the program at work. The research data for the study was collected through interviews, questionnaires, participant observation, and college documents. Chapter 1 concerns the formal organization and curriculum of professional studies. It discusses two phases, 1965-72 and 1972-75, in the development of the course. In chapter 2, the focus is on the perception of status and value of professional studies. It contains staff comments on the influence of the structural and organizational features of the college course pattern, and student comments on the competence and commitment of the staff. Chapter 3 contains staff and student comments on the conflicts and anxieties associated with teaching and learning in the professional studies area. (Appended are 14 items including research methods, questionnaires, course patterns, academic structure at the college, unit structure of courses, academic staff structure, staff teaching experience, matriculation patterns, lines of communication, and membership of the Academic Board.) (RC)

University of Sussex Education Area Occasional Paper, n4 1975. ericd

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.