Rethinking an initial postgraduate course in primary teacher education in Australia

Abstract

A proposal for the restructure of a one-year post graduate initial course in teacher education into a two-year Master of Teaching (Primary) program prompted this research. The context is a Western Australian university with an established tradition of pre-service teacher education. The research used a mixed methods approach including a literature review, university statistics, student and staff interviews, two student surveys, and specific course retention data. The researchers collated a rich history of the course with a focus on collecting data over a four year period on the changing cohort demographics, the integration of information and communications technology, students retention rates, and student learning support needs. The findings include suggestions for course design, e-learning and strategies to promote the use of mobile tablet devices.