The Theory Practice Nexus in Teacher Education: Preparing students for work.

Abstract

A frequent criticism levelled at university education is the emphasis on theory rather than practice. The challenge for academics remains complex where competing demands require creative solutions to course design and implementation that will accommodate diverse learning needs of students. A recent addition to these demands is preparing students with a set of generic skills that will be the "building blocks of personal and professional success" (Griffith University Graduate Profile). This skill development is aimed at enhancing professional expertise and personal effectiveness in ways that equip a university graduate for life-long learning. These skills should be embedded within and across courses in university programs. In this paper, our efforts to achieve this are reported. Over the past four years, a teaching team has worked with schools in designing a course that addresses the theory / practice nexus and those issues related to student diversity and generic skills. It is consistently rated by students as highly effective in preparing them as teachers of English and recognised by schools as a way forward in preparing students for work.