Evaluating Teacher-Candidates’ Teaching in the Extended Practicum

Abstract

This study reports the aggregate results of the evaluations of the teaching performance of 17 cohorts of teacher-candidates (n = 374), who completed their extended practicum during their pre-service teacher-education program at one Western Canadian university. Over a 15-year period, one of the researchers served as the College Supervisor for these cohorts in their respective four-month internship in schools in a variety of locations throughout the province. The teacher-candidates’ final evaluations on nine categories of teaching performance revealed varying levels of strength among the skill areas. Implications of the findings are drawn: (a) for the undergraduate program administrators, faculty members, and practicum-program personnel at the university connected to this study, and (b) for other teacher-education institutions interested in making use of this information to help inform their deliberations in assessing/improving their own pre-service and practicum initiatives.