Failing Students

Concerns about inappropriate people getting through

Need better partnerships with Universities

PE as gatekeepers

Consider altarentive views on fails: is it a problem or a necessary part of the professional “gestalt”

Consider placements as an opportunity for robust/fair/defensible assessments  - about potential to practice rather than preoccupation and anxiety about outcome.

1.Practice Teacher Role

Issue of the role being Administrative; Case monitoring/supervision; educating; evaluating – all of which are reasonably clear tasks.

The complexity comes with in addition to assessing

• Confidence/assertiveness – professional authority
• Responsbility for own and other development
• AOP & ADP
• Conceptualisation and analysis
• Theory & Practice
• Self-awareness
• Critical reflection

2. Role of the Relationship with student

Adult Learners needs:

• Student can be anxious – becoming a learner and being assessed
• Lack of confidence/deskilled
• Responding to complex & distressing situations

Students cite the relationship with PE having a major impact on their learning – where does this leave the PE?

3. Failure to Fail

·         PE – close relationship, aware of personal cost/anxiety around process/ will university uphold the decision

·         Student – not guaranteed a further placement, emotional and financial costs

·         SW environment less familiar with failure – we are encouraging and nurturing.   Ideas about SW role?

·         Incongruent with PE identity

·         Scraping through the 1st placement – more to lose in the 2nd.

PE don’t fail students because

·         Lack of competence using the framework

·         Fear of complaints/litigation