200
both set limits and determine possibilities. But that direction
for the students is made possible by working in the group and having
access to experience in schools which is an extension of what is
conventionally seen as teaching practice. But what can be seen here
is the piecemeal and sometimes hesitant way in which students
develop their interests. Frequently a coherent framework is lacking
and an important aspect of the tutor's role is listening over time
for the articulation of the individual concerns and then helping
4
the students to work with them.
b) Concerns as a basis for professional knowledge
In the next extract the RE student introduces her interests in an
organised way but the comparison with her own experience suggests
a deeper level of concern and a lack of knowledge.
School A 15.1.82 P8 ci
RE
I’m interested in two special aspects - one
which I’d like to bring into the Tuesday
sessions and things like careers and how
we can prepare them for leaving schools.
You do that course in the VI form (reference
to City and Guilds course taught by Eng
student) and the careers teachers do a lot
of work in what sorts of jobs you can get
for children, and interviews and all
sort of thing. It’s very different
the school I went to, where you either
that
fro!
went
into a bank or you went to university and
that was it - or you could be a nurse or
a midwife - there were the four options.
But here she has a lot more ideas of things
they can do - places they can go - and I’d
be interested in knowing more than that.
Eng Yes the VI form’s so different now you need
to know what you’re going into .....
At several points in the year RE refers to her own school experience.
The gap between that and what
she is now involved in as a student