Rethinking an Initial Postgraduate Course in Primary Teacher Education in Australia

Abstract

A proposal for the restructure of a one-year post
graduate initial course in teacher education into a two-year
Master of Teaching (Primary) program prompted this research.
The context is a Western Australian university with an
established tradition of pre-service teacher education. The
research used a mixed methods approach including a literature
review, university statistics, student and staff interviews, two
student surveys, and specific course retention data. The
researchers collated a rich history of the course with a focus on
collecting data over a four year period on the changing cohort
demographics, the integration of information and
communications technology, students retention rates, and student
learning support needs. The findings include suggestions for
course design, e-learning and strategies to promote the use of
mobile tablet devices.