Challenges in the Grading of Teaching Practicum at the University of Botswana’s Faculty of Education Between 1999 and 2009

Abstract

Until 2010 when the Faculty of Education at the University of Botswana changed from a classroom observation
competency-based teaching practice framework to a portfolio based one, there were two types of grades that were used to
compute students’ assessment university and achool grades. A Lesson Observation Report Form (LORF) was the main
instrument used to assess the competencies of student teachers. Each student teacher was to be assessed at least three times
in each teaching subject by both the cooperating teacher and University of Botswana lecturer; and the final mark shall be the
simple average of the six grades. The purpose of this study is to establish the challenges faced by both University of Botswana
and school-based supervisors in grading the teaching practicum and then compare the grading by cooperating teachers to that
of the University supervisors. Data for this study included analysis of past copies of completed LORFs, Teaching Practice
Committee Meetings minutes, copies of results and Teaching Practice Reports from 1999 to 2009. The results show that there
were many challenges faced by both University and school-based supervisors, with some being similar while others were
different.