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important to emphasise that such features do not necessarily remain
constant for
once
subject method
departments
regularly
commit a
group of students to the Alternative Course and their staff become
familiar with it, then this itself influences the selection and
recruitment process.
There are indications that it also affects
some students
prior selection of the course in the first place.
The extent to which
this occurs has not been measured and indeed
is difficult to estimate given the influence of other factors discus-
sed by Patrick
(1982). However
the nature of student commitment
their previous experience and background and
equally important,
their career intentions become influential in the course itself.
Teaching
in the inner city is not its exclusive focus and indeed
given the declining opportunities here for probationary teachers
Rather a willingness to accept the relevance
of such experience at this stage in one’s career is important and
has to be negotiated either at the point of entry or earlier during
selection.
Any partnership must be based upon the characteristics
and the linking of
university departments with
schools
requires
degree
about the nature and direction
of
the particular
course. This must cover the whole PGCE course
as
experience by
students rather than specific method courses within
Only if this
occurs can prospective student teachers be helped
to
make informed
professional decisions about where to undertake
their initial teacher education. An awareness of these factors has
developed in the practices of both the Sussex and Alternative Course.
They were highlighted in the Sussex research as the ”..... institu-
tional effect over and above the social climate effect” which referred