| Popis: |
METIS (Mater Dei Education for Teaching Information System) is a custom-built online learning environment for teaching practice (TP) that has been developed in the context of a concurrent Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme at the Mater Dei Institute of Education (MDI), Dublin. It is guided by three objectives ('to facilitate competency-based profiling of student-teachers', 'to facilitate reflective practice by student-teachers', and 'to facilitate the flow of information for teaching practice') and one central aim ('to facilitate the professional growth of student-teachers'). This thesis considers the contribution of METIS to the conduct and understanding of teaching practice in MDI, offering insights into reflective practice and processes of lesson planning, at the same time as suggesting ways in which online learning environments such as METIS might help student-teachers and their supervisors to operate more effectively in collaboration and as individuals. It employs a case study methodology and draws upon data obtained from semi-structured one-to-one interviews with studentteachers, TP supervisors and TP administration staff as its primary source of data, and information from within METIS itself as a secondary source. Following presentation and analysis of this data, the final chapter considers ultimately the central research question using an amended subset of Rogers' 'Diffusion of Innovation' theory. There is evidence of a number of positive contributions to TP in MDI through the introduction of METIS. These include increased transparency and clarity surrounding the assessment of student-teachers, empowering the professional development of studentteachers through the provision of online formative feedback, and overall enhanced communication between staff and students. A number of features also emerge in need of review. These include the existing mechanisms in place for facilitation of elements of reflective practice through M ETIS and the use of competency-orientated graphical components to visually illustrate student-teacher performance on TP. |
