The Lucent Science Teacher Initiative (LSTI): A mentoring project for trainee teachers of second level science
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Date
2004Author
Childs, Peter E.
McClelland, George
McGourty, Frank
Geary, Tom
McCauley, Veronica
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Childs, P.E., McClelland, G., McGourty, F., Geary, T and McCauley, V. (2004). The Lucent Science Teacher Initiative (LSTI): A mentoring project for trainee teachers of second level science. Polish Association Of Science Teachers (PSNPP) Journal, 12(3), 5-10.
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Abstract
This paper describes an innovative project in the University of Limerick for
trainee science teachers in Irish second-level schools. This three-year project
has received funding from Lucent Technologies Foundation K-16 programme
and is due to run from 2000-2003. The University of Limerick is a major
provider of second-level science teachers through four-year concurrent
degree programmes with an annual intake of 40-50 students. During their
course students have two extended periods of full-time Teaching Practice
(TP) placement in schools: six weeks in semester 4 and ten weeks in
semester 7. This teaching practice is monitored and assessed by visits from
university-based tutors, one each in education and science. In the second
year practice 4 visits are scheduled and in the fourth year practice 5 visits.
This gives only limited opportunities for helping students to improve and
develop their teaching skills. Students have cooperating teachers whose
classes they take, but there has been no formal structure for mentoring by
these teachers. The recent report of the Task Force on the Physical Sciences
(2002) has highlighted the importance of good pre-service training for science
teachers.