Course: Teacher Education in Pakistan (8626)

Difference between a Practicum and an Internship? Understanding the difference between a practicum and an internship can better prepare students for the curriculum demands of their degree programs. Essentially, educational practicums and internships are supervised on-site work experiences that allow students to practice and demonstrate their developing skills and competencies in their chosen career. While these experiences bear some similarities in design, their purpose and scope are quite different.

The Practicum Experience

Practicums are field experiences that allow a student to observe and document how working professionals perform their job responsibilities. Students will also participate to a limited extent in performing tasks under supervision by program professors and on-site staff. Concurrently, students enroll in a course which outlines the expectations and requirements of the practicum. The expectations associated with a practicum vary according to the career. For example, a practicum in teaching may require assisting the teacher with implementing small group instruction, whereas a practicum in nursing may entail recording vital signs for one or two patients under supervision.

General characteristics of practicums include:

• Shadowing one or more assigned employees who will guide the on-site experience.
• Observing and correlating practices in the field with theories and methods previously studied.
• Recording data or assisting with tasks as directed by on-site personnel.
• Completing practicum course assignments.

Participation at the practicum site is typically two or three times per week for a few hours per session. No remuneration is expected for a practicum, but it does qualify for academic credit.

The Internship Experience

As compared to practicums, internships take on the characteristics of a real job focusing on independent application of skills and knowledge in the workplace setting. Students are placed with on-site professionals who manage their workload and oversee their performance much as an administrator in an actual employment setting would. Additionally, program instructors visit the student two to three times during the internship to evaluate their progress and performance.

Internships are usually considered to be full-time experiences, following the work schedule of the assigned placement. They also receive academic credit, and in some cases, may provide a stipend for services rendered. As an avenue for preparing graduates for careers, academic practicum and internship experiences are valuable tools for learning. They not only afford students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and practice their skills in real world settings but prepare students for the realities of the workplace.

Teacher training benefits skills (contextual example)

Authority’s skills-based teacher training has built a common approach to teaching and learning across schools in the area. Pupils’ thinking skills have progressed well, especially in transition between primary and secondary school and professional learning communities have encouraged teachers to share their experiences and practices. Context: Wareham is situated in north-east Wales and is bordered by Flintshire to the north-west, Denbighshire to the west, Posy’s to the south and England to the east. The total population is 133,207. The percentage of Wareham pupils of compulsory school age eligible for free school meals is 19%, similar to that nationally.

Strategy & Action: The local authority wanted to promote joint-working and better understanding of skills-based learning. It provides training for two teachers from each school, one of which should have a leadership responsibility. The course aims to raise standards, build shared skills-based pedagogy, and develop a common vocabulary. Teachers implement strategies and research their effectiveness. As a result, improvements include a common approach to skills-based teaching, better continuity in pupils’ thinking skills, improved pupil achievement, and the development of schools as professional learning communities.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) The most striking innovation in the field of educational technology is the use of computers in the instructional process. Computer Assisted Instruction is a natural outgrowth of the application of the principles of Programmed Instruction. The main objective of CAI is to provide the needed flexibility for individualizing the educational process. It meets the need of a specific learner in a way which is almost impossible to do so in a face-to-face student teacher relationship. A computer is such a device which can cater to the needs of the individual learners by storing a large amount of information. It can process the information suiting to the needs of the individual learner, and cater to a great variety of educational needs — from drill and practice to problem solving.

Modes of CAI

Drill and Practice: Designed to teach basic facts. The student is asked to type in answers and the computer tells him about the correctness of his response. Control rests with the computer.

Tutorial: Used to teach basic concepts or methods, utilizing explanations, descriptions, questions, problems and graphic illustrations. The computer specifies tasks, checks answers, and provides feedback.

Simulation: Deals with the representation of an event, system or equipment. Enables students to investigate and experiment with complex, dangerous, or expensive systems.

Modeling: Computer programs can build complex mathematical models and explore them quantitatively, rapidly, and in great detail.

Educational Gaming: The student is placed in a competitive position with either another student or the computer itself, best suited to teach rules and procedures.

Affecting Technology Use: Access, Training, Context

Access: Several investigations have found that loaning equipment and providing ongoing support promotes technology use. The importance of readily available, consistent, and expert help cannot be overemphasized. Access also means a forum for discussion of controversial topics (e.g., e-mail as safety zone for dialogue).

Training: Training is not synonymous with a standalone course. The Teaching Teleapprenticeships data suggest that modeling by instructors, incorporating technology in content-related assignments, and providing on-call support staff increases technology use. For example, a cooperating teacher created an electronic portfolio, then her student teachers prepared their own and taught others. Training not connected to subject matter or immediate instructional purpose was not valued. When prospective teachers saw technology used as a tool tied to course goals, they were able to incorporate it into their own curriculum.

Context: Context includes the program, faculty, and school settings. When hardware and software were not readily available, technology use was unlikely and caused frustration. Differences between elementary and secondary settings are noted; computer labs vs. classroom placement matters. A supportive climate is essential.

Micro-teaching is a teacher training and faculty development technique whereby the teacher reviews a recording of a teaching session, in order to get constructive feedback from peers and/or students about what has worked and what improvements can be made to their teaching technique. Micro-teaching was invented in the mid-1960s at Stanford University by Dwight W. Allen, and has subsequently been used to develop educators in all forms of education.

Component skills approach – the activity of teaching is broken down into individual skills: lesson planning, set induction, presentation, stimulus variation, proper use of audio-visual aids, reinforcement, questioning, silence and nonverbal cues, and closure.

Microteaching cycle includes: plan, teach (5–10 min), feedback, replan, reteach. Repeated cycles help improve skills one at a time. Advantages: focuses on specific teaching skills, increases confidence, provides expert supervision, and allows repeated practice without adverse consequences.

Criticisms (lack of awareness) exist, but repeated experiments show microteaching produces remarkable improvement in teaching skills. It is applicable not only to novice teachers but also for senior faculty.

TEACHER TRAINING IN MALAYSIA

Education in Malaysia consists of pre-school, primary school, secondary, tertiary and postgraduate. The Ministry of Education (Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia) is responsible from pre-school to secondary while Ministry of Higher Education handles tertiary. Primary schooling is 6 years (Standard 1–6), secondary 5 years (Form 1–5). After SPM, students can do Form 6 (STPM) or matriculation (pre‑university).

Teacher Education Institutions in Malaysia: Two main types: 28 teacher training colleges under Teacher Education Division, and 11 public universities. Pre‑service programmes: Malaysian Diploma of Teaching (MDT) and Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching (PDT). About 4000 teachers graduate from MDT and 3000 from PDT yearly. In‑service programmes include Special Degree Programme (for non‑graduate teachers), Special Teaching Certificate, and Professional Development Courses.

Admission criteria: For PDT: a Bachelor’s degree and credit in Malay Language at School Certificate level. Malaysia aims that by 2005 all secondary teachers are graduates, and by 2020 all teachers will be graduates. For diploma holders, pathway to degree includes a pre‑course 14‑week programme plus one full‑time year at teacher training college and three years at university.

Teacher education in Pakistan (based on provided institutional context)

In Pakistan, teacher education involves both pre‑service and in‑service training. The text highlights the work of ITA (Idara‑e‑Taleem‑o‑Aagahi) and its partnerships: Federal Directorate of Education, Allama Iqbal Open University, Aga Khan University‑IED, Directorate of Staff Development Punjab, University of Education Lahore, etc. Pre‑service programmes include the traditional PTC, CT, and the emerging four‑year B.Ed. Professional degree (B.Ed 4‑year) is seen as a reform milestone. In‑service Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is conducted by ITA and partners. Since 2004, Pakistan also participates in the Pakistani Teachers Training Summer Institute at Plymouth State University (USA) funded by the U.S. Department of State, where 20–25 educators travel for a 5‑week programme on Math, Science, English and teaching methods. More than 116,000 teachers have been trained by alumni.

Comparison: Malaysia has a centralized system with clear diploma/degree pathways and a target to graduate all teachers by 2020. Pakistan is in transition: four‑year B.Ed is being promoted, but large numbers still enter through PTC/CT. Malaysia uses teacher training colleges and universities in parallel; Pakistan relies on regional institutes (GCETs, IERs, AIOU) and NGO partnerships (e.g., ITA) for in‑service. Malaysia has established admission criteria (credit in Malay language) while Pakistan’s provincial authorities set requirements. Both countries emphasise upgrading qualifications and have partnerships with international universities (Malaysia has twinning programmes; Pakistan has the PSU‑ITA collaboration). Malaysia’s move to graduate all teachers by 2020 is a defined policy; Pakistan’s 4‑year B.Ed is gradually replacing former diplomas.

In-Service Training and Partnerships: A cornerstone of school transformation for improvement is the catalytic role of teachers and head teachers, which is highly dependent upon their professional abilities. ITA since 2000 has been engaged with in-service training, both in-country and out-of-country, to support Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teachers and managers. Objectives include working directly with partner schools, public and private teacher training institutions, and the corporate sector as a service provider; enhancing professional expertise; inculcating pedagogical skills; and sensitizing school heads on educational management.

Out of Country In-Service Training – Example: Pakistani Teachers Training Summer Institute at Plymouth State University (USA) begun in 2004. It is a collaboration between PSU, ITA and School Improvement Network Pakistan. The programme brings 20–25 Pakistani educators for a 4‑5 week cross-cultural exchange, upgrading skills in Math, Science, English, and teaching methods. Outcomes include new skills, participants forming networks, achieving promotions, and training over 116,000 teachers back home.

Institutional partners of ITA include: Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Federal College of Education (FCE) Islamabad, Allama Iqbal Open University, Sindh Education Foundation, AKU-IED, Department of Education Punjab, Directorate of Staff Development (DSD), University of Education Lahore, Punjab University – IER, GCET Multan, Beaconhouse, and many others. Such partnerships allow resource sharing, alignment of teacher education standards, and development of need‑based training modules.

From this rich base, ITA decided in 2007 to establish the Institute for Professional Development – Pakistan (IPD) with support from UNILEVER Pakistan, aiming for pre‑service B.Ed (4‑year) affiliation with Punjab University and eventually become a degree‑awarding institution. This expansion from in‑service to pre‑service demonstrates synergy: partnerships with public universities and schools create a continuum in teacher education.

Importance of partnerships:

• Promote mutual capacity building and use of diverse expertise.
• Enable cross-cultural understanding (e.g. PSU-ITA programme).
• Foster continuous professional development grounded in local needs.
• Create sustainable networks of alumni who multiply training.
• Support systemic reform (e.g., transition to four‑year B.Ed).
• Combine governmental, NGO, and corporate resources (CSR).

Training methodologies used in these partnerships are participatory: brainstorming, group work, interactive lectures, role play, worksheets, etc. Modules developed include School Leadership, Focal Teachers Training, and School Improvement through Effective Leadership. Such collaborations improve the quality of teacher preparation and ultimately student learning outcomes.