An innovative research project by Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics Dr Christine Edwards-Groves and Ms Rhonda Hoare has been recognised nationally.

 

The academics, from CSU’s School of Education, will receive their Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Government’s Office of Student Learning and Teaching at a ceremony on Tuesday 17 September at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.

 

Dr Edwards-Groves is also a member of the University's Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education (RIPPLE).

 

The project, Talking to Learn, is a collaborative venture between CSU and the Catholic Schools Office Wagga Wagga and gives teaching students practical experience in the classroom in the very first weeks of University.

 

“Previous experience showed that first-year teacher education students find it difficult to connect their theoretical university learning to the practice of teaching and often begin their first practicum underprepared and lacking in confidence for working with children and their associate teachers,” Ms Hoare said.

 

“We identified that many students enter University with very limited experience of talking with young children, of the changes in teaching strategies implemented in today’s schools, and in working with and learning through mentoring from an experienced professional. 

 

“Therefore, it was proposed that immersing pre-service teachers into the everyday life of classrooms from the very first weeks of University to learn the importance of developing skills for engaging in quality communication for learning would provide a strong foundation for them as emerging professionals.”

 

The project provides pre-service teachers with practical experience for two hours each week for 10 weeks. 

 

“The pre-service teachers worked with an experienced teacher in classrooms, observing them teach, and with small groups of children reading stories, talking about that reading, and supporting them in their literacy learning tasks,” said Ms Hoare.

 

Each session ended with mentoring sessions between the classroom teacher and the pre-service teachers on the way they read and interacted with the children.

 

CSU lecturers also visited the schools to support the pre-service teachers and the classroom teachers, and to keep up to date with changes in school practices. 

 

“Although Christine and I were awarded the Citation, it was the generosity and expertise of the classroom teachers and the schools that enabled this project to be so successful,” said Ms Hoare.

 

Read more about other CSU staff awarded Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2013 by the Office of Learning and Teaching here.