39. Extract From the Circular on Practicums

[Kerala University English Teacher Educator’s Forum-KUETEF]

During the IX Meeting of KUETEF, Fr. Joseph J provided copies of the Circular on Practicums to the members present. The following is an extract from the Circular.

[See Order No Ac.A.III/2/936/2008 dated 25.11.2008 issued by the Registrar, University of Kerala]

•Practicum is to be organized as an unique individualized, supervised experience that explores comprehensive written assignments, on-the-job practice, and innovative performance evaluation, so as to measure how a student has applied his/her talent, efforts and other resources towards achieving better professional performance.

•Practicum is to be conceived as a specialized essential experience designed to give students supervised practical application of the theoretical orientation to real instructional/allied situations where the supervisor will provide guidance to improve different aspects of practice and addressing varied student concerns in actual situations.

The following criteria should be kept in view while developing different components of the Practicum:

•Content-based
•Problem Oriented
•Inquiry Supported
•Socially Relevant
•Empirically Supported
•Personally Meaningful
•Based on established theory
•Professionally focused


It is necessary that special training be given to the would-be teachers in problem-solving following the scientific method.

Group/ individualized discussion work should be taken up by the mentor or a specialist as the problem demands.

Trainees should be given guidance in the following:

•Defining a problem and formulation of a hypothesis relating to the problem
•Collection of data for verification of the hypothesis, generalization, following confirmation/rejection of the hypothesis etc.

The practicums can be of the following type:

1.Based on analytical studies
2.Institutional case studies
3.Simple Action Research
4.Simple teaching models
5.Review of information such as textbooks/articles/websites
6.Design and application of simple teacher-made psychological tests
7.Environmental studies
8.Simple problem-based studies
9.Institutional Surveys
10.Construction of evaluation tools and techniques for specialized measurement
11.Preparation of software and technologically supported materials
12.Improvisation of learning materials

Guidelines for designing/reporting a problem for investigation

Note : The following steps are only suggestive and appropriate variation can be made according to the nature of the problem:
a.An introduction highlighting need and significance of the problem under study
b.Statement of the problem using appropriate terminology
c.Objectives
d.Methodology including the sample (if any)
e.Tools if any
f.Analysis and interpretation of data
g.Conclusions with suggestions
h.References

Note: The typed report should not exceed seven pages
For each semester the student teacher has to submit four practicums of which two will be problem-based and the rest could be of a general nature


LIST OF PRACTICUMS FOR ENGLISH

Note: The list is provided merely for developing an understanding of the scope and has to be modified with individual problems assigned to each student without repetition.

•Text book analysis Std VIII, IX and X (each student teacher may attempt at least one standard.[This Practicum is compulsory for students who have chosen language as optional]

•Module preparation ( For any one lesson they have taught during Teaching Practice)

•Book reviews ( Any one of the books in a particular language which has won reader’s acceptance)

•Case Studies / Institutional–based Case Studies

•Documentation (on a particular topic)

•Preparation of a Class Magazine – Collecting articles from each student teacher (manuscript or printed)

•An album (collecting pictures useful for learning a particular language)

•Preparation of psychological tests (teacher- made tests)

•Preparation of a year plan

•Summary of the visit to socially important places (like juvenile homes, orphanages, jail, hospitals etc.

•Making a list of audio visual aids used in their own institutions for making teaching/learning effective(with relevant explanation about the size, cost and purpose of the aid and how it is used)

•Film reviews (socially significant films)

Problem-based Practicum in the language section

Problems related to the following aspects of language learning are recommended:
a.Sounds of the language
b.Problems related to the basic skills of the language (listening , speaking, reading, writing and study skills)
c.Spelling
d.Vocabulary
e.Grammar/forms and functions
f.Teaching of prose lessons
g.Teaching of poetry lessons
h.Teaching of supplementary readers
i.Problem related to evaluation/examination
j.Problem related to Methods of teaching
k.Problem related to approaches


The problem-based practicums may contain the following steps

The number of pages of each practicum should not exceed 7 pages
1.Introduction (one or two pages)
Need and significance
Statement of the problem
Objectives
2.Methodology ( one or two pages)
Tools, sample chosen and procedure (if any)
3.Analysis and interpretation (one and a half page)
4.Conclusion and suggestion if any (one page)
5.References (at least three books/other references) (half page)

Note: There may be problems which do not have/need not have the above steps. In that case, reliable steps accepted for a qualitative research work can also be taken into consideration.

Secretary,
KUETEF