Teaching Academies of Professional Practice (TAPPs)

Description

For the past six years, Monash Education has run a unique three-week rural professional experience program for pre-service teachers in secondary schools and early learning centres in Bass Coast Shire (Victoria, Australia). The TAPPs project will develop a deep understanding of the learning experiences of participating pre-service teachers and the impact of the program on teachers, learners and school communities, with the aim of expanding the program.

The study will explore the factors that influence the development of pre-service teachers’ capabilities and the extent to which they believe their self-efficacy as teachers develops during the placement. It will investigate whether there are factors unique to rural school placements, such as greater engagement in the school community, increased interaction with school leaders, mentors, teachers and students, and increased chances to collaborate with peers after hours, that improve pre-service teachers’ learning success. The study will use mixed-methods approaches, including self-efficacy scales, classroom and school observations, focus groups, and surveys of school mentors and other stakeholders.

From the data collected, the research team will collaborate with the Bass Coast TAPP committee of management to co-design an extended professional experience model for the Bass Coast that moves beyond existing practices and develop new strategies to improve initial teacher education in rural settings.

Investigators