36
- university and school staff will watch lessons
in order to induct, advise and guide in such matters
as class control,
aids , blackboards
skill. (1982 P55)
level of instruction, use of visual
and the like
and
personal
Classroo
is not unrealistic
assume
that
the focus for student
school
staff
and university tutor will be
the lesson appropriate
to the
student’s subject method and that areas of teaching experience outside
this do not receive the same amount of attention. The limitations
of the type of attention are apparent in the previous comment.
However it does appear that not all tutors accept this definition
of their task. Some may favour support rather than criticism as
a basis for their role. Criticism^albeit positive^ is emphasised
in the following comment on student perceptions of their tutors’
comments .
We are forced to the conclusion that either criticisms
were not made or more possibly that
they
were made
in such a way that students did not perceive their
true nature. (1982 P64)
The expectation that underlies this conclusion conflicts with central
elements of the role as seen by tutors themselves but its existence
affects school staff in their relationship with PGCE students as
well as with university tutors. Important in the tutors’ conception
of the
role
appears
to be that
the relationship between the
ethod
tutor and his students was at the hub ɑf the PGCE (1982 Pl87). The
research
emphasises
how
spent
in the method group
the emphasis
on subject, shared interest in teaching, assessment and professional
recommendations via the reference all combine to emphasise the
importance
of this relationship.
Yet presently at its centre is
assessment
and it is the definition of this activity tied to the
lesson that may explain the conflict. Within their experience tutors