Balancing detailed comprehensiveness with a big vision: A suggested conceptual framework for teacher education courses

Abstract

Current Australian teacher accreditation processes are impacting significantly on the expectations of teacher education courses, particularly in relation to graduate resilience, flexibility and capability. This paper uses a logical conceptual format to explain how writers at a Western Australian university prepared a new Secondary Degree course, one that offers students an optimum selection of diverse learning contexts for building a deeper understanding of the teaching profession. Four "stages" of conceptual planning are described. The first three conceptual stages established the thematic structure of the developmental course model across the four years of the degree, reviewed unit content and timing, and framed the National Graduate Teacher Standards in terms of meaningful learning contexts. The last stage moved to thinking about exactly "how" the mechanics of the teaching and learning in the course work might best achieve attainment of the Graduate Standards. An overall conceptual synthesis of these ideas is also offered.