52
To write about it in that rather indiscriminate
and residual fashion is not entirely inappropriate,
for it was in this area of work that the university
departments differed most ..... (1982 P114)
They go on to say that
..... the majority of departments offered integrated
courses ..... but ..... it does not necessarily
mean that a great deal of highly developed conceptual
re—organisation has informed its construction.
Rather the staff have been concerned to relate the
course to practical work and policy related issues
in the field of education and classroom work. (1982 P114)
Such work involved
relatively large numbers of staff and particularly
method tutors
but generally
the
’holding’ power of the non-method courses was
very different froι
that
of method work,
and student
attendance levels, as reported by the students,
were considerably lower at non-method than at method
classes. (1982 P115)
Despite the fact that
64.6% of students spend over 5 hours a week
on educational theory courses (Table 6.2 P118) the proportions of
students claiming to have derived little or no insight into critical
topics is surprising. Sixty point four per cent claimed no insight
into
the
and
organisation of the education system,
43.6% none into its history and 3δ∙8% none into the theory and practice
of the curriculum. A further 35.9% claimed no insight into social
class and educational opportunity and 29∙5% into mixed ability teaching
(Table 6.5 P122) . Given that such topics are offered by many
departments (Table 6.1 P118) and given that they are well developed
areas in the academic field of education this gives cause for concern.
The data from staff and students casts severe doubt on the capacity
of the PGCE course to fulfil such modest ambitions as those listed