Profession to have a say on future teachers

7 October 2010

"The teaching profession is set to have a say on the approval of New Zealand's 170 initial teacher education (ITE) programmes and those selected to become our future teachers," said New Zealand Teachers Council (the Council) Director, Dr Peter Lind.

"As part of our leadership role to ITE providers and the profession, the Council has today released new approval, review and monitoring processes and requirements for ITE programmes that lead to teacher registration."

These will apply to all ITE providers in New Zealand - universities, wānanga, polytechnics, institutes of technology and private training establishments.

Informed by national and international research and in close consultation with the teaching profession, the Council has developed a forward-looking model that reflects the nature of teaching as an applied professional qualification.

"The new requirements will encourage collaborative partnerships between teacher educators (those teaching student teachers) and teacher practitioners (teachers in schools and early childhood education services)," said Dr Lind.

This will begin with the profession's involvement in the selection processes of candidates into ITE programmes. ITE providers will be required to use visual interviews in their selection processes. Teaching is a linguistically demanding profession requiring a high level of successful engagement with individuals, small groups and larger groups.

"Together providers and teaching practitioners will determine a candidate's likely ability to communicate effectively with learners and whanau in their chosen sector.

Dr Lind added that "the new requirements will support ITE providers who have ongoing engagement with the profession throughout a student teacher's journey to become a practising teacher. This means that student teachers will be assisted to carefully interweave ideas and concepts learned in their coursework with meaningful teaching practice."

The profession will also be involved in all panels that approve and review the effectiveness of New Zealand's ITE programmes across the university and non-university sectors.

National core groups of teachers/professional leaders from each sector (including early childhood, primary, secondary and Māori medium) will contribute the viewpoint of teacher practitioners on panels; complementing the perspective of teacher educators and sector representatives.

"Another key goal of the requirements is firmly on continuing and evolving New Zealand's tradition of a high-quality teaching profession.

"Professional leadership for teachers begins while they are studying. All student teachers will be required to meet the Graduating Teacher Standards prior to graduating to set them up for a successful career in teaching.

"All graduates will be ready to begin their journey as newly qualified teachers supported by their induction and mentoring programme across their first two years of teaching."

The approval, review and monitoring processes and requirements for ITE programmes will be implemented from 1 January 2011. To view the report visit www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/te/itereview.stm

ENDS

Contact: Dr Peter Lind, Director, 04 470 9055 or 0274 311 523.

Questions and Answers
 

Q: What are initial teacher education (ITE) programmes?

A: Initial teacher education (ITE) is a programme of study towards a teaching qualification at level 7 on the NZQA Register of Quality Assured Qualifications. This qualification enables a person to teach in New Zealand early childhood education (ECE) services, schools (primary, intermediate and secondary) or kura (Māori medium or immersion). There are a range of ITE approved programmes:

• undergraduate degrees of 3 or 4 years length
• undergraduate diplomas of 3 years length
• graduate diplomas of 1 to 1.3 year's length (for those with a suitable qualification at level 7 or above).
  

Q: What is an applied professional qualification?

A: It is a qualification where the student is preparing for practice in their chosen field, such as dentistry, medicine or nursing. Teaching is identical. Upon graduating student teachers will become practising teachers and will be responsible for teaching children and young people in an early childhood education setting or classroom. Applied professional qualifications are a mixture of theory and practice.

"Teaching teachers is certainly among the most demanding kinds of professional preparation: teacher educators must constantly model practices; construct powerful learning experiences; thoughtfully support progress, understanding, and practice; carefully assess students' progress and understandings; and help link theory and practice." (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005, p.441).

Q: How will the teaching profession be involved in the approval of ITE programmes and the selection of candidates?

A: During the consultation period the education sector clearly expressed a strong voice for more active involvement in ITE with all provider institutions. The new processes and requirements will encourage collaborative partnerships between teacher educators (those teaching student teachers) and teacher practitioners (teachers in schools and early childhood education services).

The profession will be involved in all panels that approve and review the effectiveness of New Zealand's ITE programmes, with the establishment of national core groups of teachers from each sector.

The profession will also be involved in the selection processes of candidates into ITE programmes. ITE providers will be required to use visual interviews in their selection processes. Together providers and teaching practitioners will determine a candidate's likely ability to communicate effectively with learners and whanau in their chosen sector.

Q: Why are there new requirements for ITE programmes?

A: In line with evolving quality management systems, the New Zealand Teachers Council (the Council) wished to be more explicit and transparent with ITE providers about its expectations for programmes and their delivery. To ensure greater consistency across approval and review panels the Council has established national core groups for the membership of these.

Q: What do the new requirements include?

A: The requirements include a conceptual framework, research, the Graduating Teacher Standards, academic entry, literacy (English language competency), numeracy, information technology, Te reo Māori competency, English language competency for EAL students, selection processes, practicum length, practicum visiting, associate teachers, programme delivery, Police vetting of candidates, candidates of ‘Good Character' and ‘Fit to be a Teacher', recognition of prior learning processes, cross crediting, maximum time for completion.

• an independent Chair
• two ITE teacher educators; one from the university sector and one of whom may become the nominated monitor
• two teachers/professional leaders from the teaching sector/s in which the programme is focused
• an institutional representative not directly involved with the programme
• a Māori representative
• a Council representative.

Q: What are the Graduating Teacher Standards (GTS)?

A: These standards are the knowledge, skills and dispositions that a graduate of a New Zealand ITE programme must meet. Teacher education providers must develop and align their programmes to ensure each graduate will meet these standards. View the Graduating Teacher Standards.   

Q: When will the approval, review and monitoring processes and requirements for ITE programmes be implemented?
A:

1. The process for approval, review and monitoring will be implemented from 1 January 2011.

2. The requirements will apply for new programmes approved from 1 January 2011 and for programmes reviewed from 1 January 2011.

3. The English language requirements for EAL students will apply for all programmes for students admitted from 1 January 2011.

4. The New Zealand Teachers Council policy on entry to Graduate Diplomas of/in Teaching will apply for all students admitted to such programmes from 1 January 2011.

5. All ITE programmes will have to meet these requirements by 1 January 2013.