Evaluation of the Out-Programme One Year Teaching Practice of Final Year Students (Mentees) of St. Joseph’s College Of Education-Bechem

The study touches on the evaluation on the organization of the one year teaching practice out programme for the final year students of St. Joseph’s College of Education at Bechem in relation with Berekum and Atebubu Colleges of Education in the Brong Ahafo Region. Formative Evaluation method in qualitative research was used to evaluate the contractual relationship between the Colleges and the Cooperating schools, concerning financial agreement, signing of Memorandum of Understanding, writing of official letters of recognition, policy development, institutional control and some follow-up services. The study also looked at the mode of supervision, monitoring and assessment involved in the out segment programme for the mentees. On the schools and colleges policy development agreement, which stresses on what to do and what not to do for the smooth running of the teaching practice, 17 cooperating schools representing 85% of the total population entered in this agreement with the Berekum College of Education. The rest are the 15 schools out of the 30 cooperating schools from the total sample. St. Joseph’s College of Education and Atebubu College of Education representing 15% never agreed on any policy development. Contractual relationship which spells out the recognition of students (mentees) to schools through writing of official letters, verbal understanding, writing of memorandum were averagely encouraged. All the three referred colleges had the power and mandate to control affairs of the schools and activities of the mentees. On finances, special allocations were made by some of the colleges in respect of: • Accommodation, recombination of mentors and in-service training of cooperating school system personnel. On the findings, follow-up services were made on the following percentages: St. Joseph’s College of Education – 63%, Berekum College of Education – 25%, Atebubu College of Education – 12%. Based on the findings of the study, these are some of the recommendations made for the improvement or development of the out segment student teaching programme in the Colleges of Education: A council on student teaching should be organized and should include in its membership the student teaching staff, cooperating teachers, administrators and/or supervisors of the cooperating school system, other members of the education department, members of the academic board, and student teachers. A comprehensive written contractual agreement with the cooperating school system should exist for an agreed period and should be renewed only if mutually satisfactory relationships exist in the conduct of student teaching. Granting expense money to cooperating teachers for circuits and district conferences on student teaching, and paying professional membership dues to the Association for Student Teaching, should be considered by the institutions. Institutions should seek to obtain sufficient institutional budgetary support for the student teaching programme. Type of examination and ongoing assessment, Employers' reactions and Standards acceptable nationally or internationally. The formulation of written objectives, the development of plans or policies, and the evaluation of the student teaching program were generally a cooperative endeavor involving teacher education institution personnel, cooperating school system personnel, and student teachers. The institutions should explore the possibility of drawing up, for an agreed period, a comprehensive written contractual agreement or a memorandum with the cooperating school system.

Source: KNUST