Off the beaten path: Programme planning for effective pre-service teacher experiences.

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study on the effectiveness of the one-year Graduate Diploma of Teaching (secondary) pre-service training of teachers of Technology. The timing of this study is significant. Twelve years of review and adjustment to the Technology curriculum, leading to the new learning area of Technology in the New Zealand curriculum (2007), have caused many teachers to re-trench to an earlier approach or make their own interpretation of curricular requirements. This situation in schools has created the need for those involved with pre-service teacher training to adjust their programmes to cope with a variety of understandings of curriculum content, implementation styles and pedagogical differences, making their connections with school communities difficult to negotiate. This paper looks at some of those issues.