92
to the effect of the totality of the course upon the students’ atti-
tudes to education. The "Sussex teaching scheme produces changes
in the attitudes to education of the student cohort which are consist-
ently different
those produced by the universities most similar
to Sussex" (1973 Ch4 P68).
These attitudes were associated with gains in ’Radicalism
as well
as the
development
of
autonomy and discernment’ and involved the
students in the experience of a degree of ’role conflict' throughout
the course. Both students and staff were shown to be involved in
this process for students were able to identify differences between
their university and their teacher tutors and to perceive themselves
reacting to these differences. The organisation of the course with
its week split between
school
and university
department
and thus
its concurrent experience of theory and practice meant that these
processes were continuous throughout the course.
For Alternative Course students the
situation was
Whilst
experiencing two blocks of teaching
day a week in school throughout the
the organisation of the course which
practice they also spend one
year. This was an aspect of
was central to its aims stated
formally in 197⅛
(Jones i98l P6). They included ’to find means of
developing theory
from systematic reflection upon shared practice’.
The school-based
day for each school group of Alternative Course
students included
sei
inar
in pursuit of this aiι
Further, each
group was re-convened in the training institution later in the week.
The following comment suggests the importance staff attributed to
these ’school-based’ activities as well as their particular inter-
pretation in the Alternative Course.