Practical Teacher Training
A crucial part of the studies for professionall teacher education students is teaching practice.
Information
Work of Professional Teacher and Practical Teacher Training in an Educational Institution 10 cr
The aim of the course is to learn to plan and implement teaching, as well as to assess students’ competence and its development. Additionally, your goal is to familiarize yourself with the work of a professional teacher and to operate in vocational education environments.
Implementation of practical teacher training
You can complete the practical teacher training in a vocational education organization, such as a vocational school, adult education center, or university of applied sciences. Teaching should primarily be directed towards education leading to a degree or qualification. Suitable educational institutions and programs for the practical teacher training are listed in the attached appendix: attachment regarding the eligibility of different institutions (doc).
Your teaching practice begins with familiarizing yourself with vocational education, its regulations, and funding sources. In addition, during the autumn semester, you will become acquainted with the work and practices of a teacher at the educational institution. During this familiarization period, you will observe and monitor the work of a teacher at the agreed-upon educational institution.
The content and duration of the practical teacher training
During the practical teacher training, you will plan and implement a teaching module for a vocational student group, the scope of which is usually about three study credits or competence points. The actual practical teacher training is mainly scheduled for the spring semester, during which you will develop your teaching and guidance skills based on the feedback you receive. For the practical teacher training, you will prepare a plan that defines the content and implementation method of the teaching.
The duration of the practical teacher training is determined by the teaching module and is agreed upon with you individually. It is important to reserve enough time for the practical teacher training so that you have the opportunity to reflect and develop between teaching sessions. The practical teacher training may also include distance guidance, competence assessment in demonstrations, collaboration with the world of work, and guidance of workplace learning or training. For example, the practical teacher training can last 1–3 months and may include:
– 3–8 teaching sessions
– Guidance of students’ distance work
– Evaluation of assignments and giving feedback.
Guidance and assessment
You will make an agreement on the practical teacher training with the educational institution. The agreement also specifies the teacher supervising the practical teacher training. Your practical teacher training will be supervised by your teacher and the supervising teacher from the educational institution. At the end of the practical teacher training, a feedback discussion will be held to assess the progress of your practical teacher training and reflect on what has been learned.
The practical teacher training commences during the autumn semester, with students familiarising themselves with the teaching practices at the educational institution. This period also involves familiarising the regulations governing vocational training and funding sources. The student teacher should also observe other teachers’ work at least five times at the training institute, with the duration of these observations varying from a few hours to a full teaching day.
As part of the practical teacher training, students plan and implement a study package worth approximately three study credits or competence points for a vocational student group. This includes teaching sessions, guidance in learning, providing feedback and evaluating student progress within various professional learning settings. Typically the practical teacher training occurs during the spring semester, including providing feedback and student evaluation.
The duration of the practical teacher training is determined by the entity being taught. It may be as short as two weeks, with training sessions conducted multiple days a week, or span over a longer period, such as two months, with sessions held two to three hours per week. Face-to-face teaching hours may vary across educational institutions, and training may also include remote supervision, evaluation of presentations, collaboration with industry partners and supervision of vocational practical training organised at workplaces.
The practical teacher training should take place within vocational training organisations, such as vocational educational institutions, vocational adult education centres or universities of applied sciences. Teaching practice should primarily focus on education leading to a degree or qualification. It is also possible to conduct practical teacher training period abroad. If you are wondering whether some institutions are suitable for practical teacher training, see the attachment regarding the eligibility of different institutions (doc).
A contractual agreement for practical teacher training is established with the educational institution where the training shall take place, which also designates the supervising teacher. A written plan is drafted for the teaching practice. Practical teacher training is supervised by the student’s tutor teacher (from the school of professional teacher education) and a supervising teacher (from the educational institution where the training takes place). A joint review meeting will be held with the supervising teacher at the end of the practical teacher training. After completing the assessment, the supervising teacher can invoice a fee for their supervisory services.
The supervision fee is invoiced from HAMK via electronic invoice service (available only in Finnish) or paper invoice. The invoicing instructions are sent to the supervising teacher by e-mail after the practical teacher training has been completed.
Note, the supervision fee will be removed for students starting their studies in 2025 and thereafter.
Agreement and assessment documentation must be sent electronically to: aokk-opintotoimisto@hamk.fi