This document provides information and guidelines for students regarding the Teaching Practice (TP) module PCF410X. It outlines: 1. The purpose of the TP module is to provide students the opportunity to apply educational theory in practical school settings and develop teaching skills. 2. Students must complete 10 weeks of teaching practice, with 3 weeks in Grade R and a minimum of 1 week each in Grades 1-3. 3. Assessment will include assignments submitted as evidence of the teaching experience. Assignments must be submitted online by the due dates.

1. PCF410X/101/0/2022
Tutorial letter 101/0/2022
Teaching Practice
PGCE (Foundation Phase)
PCF410X
Year module
Department of Language Education, Arts and
Culture
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This tutorial letter contains important information about this module.
Please read it first.
BARCODE

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CONTENTS
Page
1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME.............................................................................................. 4
2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE.............................................................. 4
2.1 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................... 4
3. CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION.......................................................................................... 6
4 LECTURERS AND CONTACT DETAILS ................................................................................... 6
4.1 Lecturer........................................................................................................................................ 6
4.2 Department .................................................................................................................................. 6
4.3 Department’s administrative officers:............................................................................................ 6
4.4 Teaching practice placement office .............................................................................................. 6
4.5 University..................................................................................................................................... 8
5 MODULE RELATED RESOURCES............................................................................................ 8
5.1 Prescribed books......................................................................................................................... 8
5.2 Recommended books.................................................................................................................. 8
5.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)............................................................................................... 9
5.4 Library services and resources information ................................................................................. 9
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE ............................................................. 9
7 STUDY PLAN.............................................................................................................................. 9
8 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING ................................ 10
8.1 School Placements.................................................................................................................... 10
9 ASSESSMENT........................................................................................................................ 11
9.1 Assessment criteria ................................................................................................................... 11
9.2 Assessment plan ....................................................................................................................... 11
9.3 Assignment due dates................................................................................................................ 11
9.4 Submission of assignments........................................................................................................ 12
9.5 The assignment.......................................................................................................................... 12
9.6 Submission of assignments ...................................................................................................... 13
9.7 The assignments ....................................................................................................................... 13
9.8 Other assessment methods ...................................................................................................... 13
9.9 The examination ........................................................................................................................ 14
9.9.1 Examination admission.............................................................................................................. 14
9.9.2 How will this work in practice?................................................................................................... 14
10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ....................................................................................... 15

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POLICY REGARDING THE TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT OF STUDENT TEACHERS ................. 15
ANNEXURE A - ASSIGNMENT 01 ....................................................................................................... 17
ANNEXURE B - ASSIGNMENT 02 ....................................................................................................... 19

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Dear Student
1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME
Welcome to the teaching practice component of your professional development. Teaching practice is
the core of our teacher education programmes, and we will do our best to make your teaching
practice experience interesting, rewarding and successful. Please start arrangements early in the
year and complete the assignments properly. The mode of delivery for this module is blended. This
means that all material and activities are uploaded on the module site for online teaching
experiences, but you may receive printed material in some cases. Unisa is ODeL and you are
expected to have internet access in order to participate in the online activities.
This tutorial letter contains essential guidelines for your school practice period. Consult the
guidelines prior to and during your teaching practice period. In this tutorial letter, you will find the
Teaching Practice assignments and instructions on the preparation and submission of the
assignments. We have also included certain general and administrative information.
NB: Please study this tutorial letter carefully! It contains important information about specific issues:
• purpose and outcomes of this module
• the study material
• instructions regarding school visits and placement
• preparation and submission of assignments
• assessment criteria
We urge you to read this tutorial letter and to keep it at hand when working through the study
material, preparing the assignments, preparing for the teaching practice at a school and addressing
questions to your lecturers.
We would like to point out that you must read ALL the tutorial letters and all announcements
on myUnisa immediately and carefully, as they contain important and, sometimes, urgent
information.
VERY IMPORTANT: Read this Tutorial Letter carefully, so that you don’t miss the opportunity
to complete your Teaching Practice because of an administrative or other neglect.
Please try to do your Teaching Practice early in the year, so that circumstances beyond your
control do not prevent you from completing your TP later during the year.
We hope you will enjoy the teaching practice component of this module and wish you the best!
2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE
2.1 Purpose
This module, PCF410X, is an essential part of the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. All
the ITE programmes have two components: educational theory and teaching practice.
Teaching practice is the final and perhaps most fascinating part of the professional preparation of

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teachers. PCF410X is the teaching practice module for this programme.
The theory required for the teaching practice module consists of:
EDUCATIONAL THEORY
PCP4065 Reception year and Foundation Phase Didactics
PCF4076 Reading, Writing and Spelling in the First and the Second Language
PCF4088 Teaching Mathematics, Science and Technology
PCP4099 Visual Arts, Music and Movement in the Foundation Phase
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
PCF410X: Ten (10) weeks teaching practical experience in an Early Childhood Education (ECE)
Centre and/or a primary School, consisting of:
• Three weeks teaching practice in Grade R class; and
• Seven weeks teaching practice in Grade 1, 2 and 3 (You need to spend time in each of
the three grades. You have to spend a minimum of one week in a particular grade.)
The Teaching Practice module forms part of a series of learning situations for prospective
teachers in which they are systematically confronted with, or can practice, concrete activities of
teaching and classroom management, supervised by experienced teachers and mentors.
The purpose of this module is to provide you with the opportunity of becoming acquainted with
formal teaching in the practical school situation and to apply the theoretical knowledge gained in
the other modules of this programme, for example Child Development, to the learning child in your
teaching practice. This module focuses on the different teaching and learning strategies in
practice.
2.2 Outcomes
Your learning process, while studying this teaching practice module, is based on a purposeful
and systematic practice and learning (from supervised teaching to co-mentoring to teaching,
finally leading to independent teaching). The outcomes envisaged in this teaching practice module
(PCF410X) are to:
• support you step-by-step during your first teaching practice experience
• provide you with experiences and good opportunities to become familiar with a classroom
• provide you, as prospective teacher, with an opportunity to establish an appropriate teacher-
learner relationship
• provide you with an opportunity for assessing your potential as a teacher and suitability for the
teaching profession
• provide you with an opportunity to develop personal relationships with students,
administrators, teachers, parents and learners
• provide you with an opportunity to put theories into practice and to develop a deeper
understanding of educational principles and their implications for learning and teaching
• assist you in developing desirable professional interests, attitudes and ideas relative to the
teaching profession
• provide you with an opportunity to observe and report on classroom activities, policies and

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resources present in a class context
3. CURRICULUM TRANSFORMATION
Unisa has implemented a transformation charter based on five pillars and eight dimensions. In
response to this charter, we have placed curriculum transformation high on the teaching and learning
agenda. Curriculum transformation includes the following pillars: student-centred scholarship, the
pedagogical renewal of teaching and assessment practices, the scholarship of teaching and learning,
and the infusion of African epistemologies and philosophies. These pillars and their principles will be
integrated at both programme and module levels as a phased-in approach. You will notice a marked
change in the teaching and learning strategy implemented by Unisa, together with how the content is
conceptualised in your modules. We encourage you to embrace these changes during your studies at
Unisa in a responsive way within the framework of transformation.
4 LECTURERS AND CONTACT DETAILS
4.1 Lecturer
The name of the primary lecturer for this module and her contact details, will be communicated to you
on myUnisa.
4.2 Department
You can contact the Department of Language Education, Arts and Culture (SNR Building, Floor 6-122)
via email or telephone (see 3.3 below). Depending on Covid regulations, most staff members are
working from home. It is therefore preferable to send an email or to call, rather than visiting the
Department in person.
4.3 Department’s administrative officers:
Name Tel number E-mail address
Ms Zandile Majeke +27 12 429 4146 majekz@unisa.ac.za
Mr Joel Maphosa +27 12 429 3783 maphojm@unisa.ac.za
All queries that are not of a purely administrative nature but are about the management of
this module should be directed to the module coordinator (see myUnisa for the name and contact
details).
Your teaching practice coordinator will do the following:
• assist you in planning a way through your teaching practice module
• support the collaborative partnership (either directly or indirectly)
• monitor and assess your teaching practice assignments (also referred to as portfolios or
workbooks) (Assignment 50 --- 58)
• act as a source of information about the content, teaching methodology, national policy
documents and school procedures
• assist you in interpreting the applied competencies so that they will make sense
4.4 Teaching practice placement office
Teaching practical school placement will be done online via the Myunisa portal under
“Student View Function”. For more information, please contact Teaching practice office using

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the Teaching Practice contact details.
Email: teachprac@unisa.ac.za
PLEASE NOTE
Do not contact your lecturer(s) about school placement-related enquiries. Also, do not contact
the teaching practice administrative officers about academic-related enquiries. A list with the
names of the lecturers responsible for the workbooks in which you will do your lesson
preparation, will be provided on myUnisa.
Below please find the contact details of the Teaching Practice Office staff members:

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4.5 University
If you need to contact the University about matters not related to the content of this module,
please consult the publication Study @ Unisa, which is available on myUnisa. This brochure contains
information on how to contact the University (e.g. to whom you can write for different queries,
important telephone a n d e-mail addresses, addresses and details of the times certain facilities are
open).
When you communicate with someone at the University, always provide your student number and
module code in the subject line of your e-mail or in your correspondence. Please do not address
enquiries to different departments (e.g. Student Accounts and Library Services) in the same e-mail.
Instead, please write to each department separately.
For your convenience, we have included some of the methods to contact the University.
Website: http://www.unisa.ac.za or Mobi: http://mobi.unisa.ac.za
Other administrative enquiries may also be directed to the following:
Email addresses SMS numbers
educare@unisa.ac.za General college (CEDU) enquiries
study-info@unisa.ac.za 43578 Applications and registrations
assign@unisa.ac.za 43584 Assignments (not for submission purposes)
exams@unisa.ac.za 43584 Examinations
despatch@unisa.ac.za 43579 Study material
finan@unisa.ac.za 31954 Student accounts
gaudeamus@unisa.ac.za n/a Graduation ceremonies
myUnisaHelp@unisa.ac.za 43582 myUnisa
myLifeHelp@unisa.ac.za 43582 myLife e-mail accounts
For other important enquiries you may have, use the following contact details:
aegrotats@unisa.ac.za aegrotat exams
remark@unisa.ac.za remarking of papers
recheck@unisa.ac.za rechecking of papers
condiscipuli@unisa.ac.za fellow student names
counselling@unisa.ac.za student counselling and career development
vospresc@unisa.ac.za enquiries about prescribed books
5 MODULE RELATED RESOURCES
5.1 Prescribed books
There is no prescribed book for PCF410X as such. The prescribed books could, however, be as
stipulated in the theoretical modules linked to the teaching practice modules.
5.2 Recommended books
There are no recommended books for this module. The workbooks as linked to the teaching practice
modules will be used.

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5.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)
No electronic reserves are required for this module. You will, however, need to consult all the CAPS
documents for the Foundation Phase. CAPS can be downloaded from:
https://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/CurriculumAssessmentPolicyStatements(CAPS).aspx
5.4 Library services and resources information
The Unisa Library offers a range of information services and resources:
• For brief information, go to https://www.unisa.ac.za/library/libatglance
• For more detailed Library information, go to
http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library
• For research support and services (eg Personal Librarians and literature search services), go
to http://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Library/Library-services/Research-support
The Library has created numerous Library guides: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za
Recommended guides:
• Request and find library material/download recommended material:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/request
• Postgraduate information services: http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/request/postgrad
• Finding and using library resources and tools:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/Research_skills
• Frequently asked questions about the library:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Services to students living with disabilities:
http://libguides.unisa.ac.za/disability
Important contact information:
• Ask a Librarian: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/ask
• Technical problems accessing library online services: Lib-help@unisa.ac.za
• General library related queries: Library-enquiries@unisa.ac.za
• For queries related to library fines and payments: Library-fines@unisa.ac.za
6 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE
The Study @ Unisa brochure is available on myUnisa: www.unisa.ac.za/brochures/studies
This brochure on the website has all the tips and information you need to succeed at distance learning
and, specifically, at Unisa.
7 STUDY PLAN
Use your Study @ Unisa brochure for general time management and planning skills. Make sure that
you submit assignment 01 on time. It is marked by computer and no late assignments can be
accepted. Please note that all assignments must be submitted online.

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You are once again reminded to do your TP as early in the year as possible.
8 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING
8.1 School Placements
Please note that teaching practical school placement will be done online via the Myunisa
portal under “Student View Function”. For more information, please contact Teaching practice
office using the Teaching Practice contact details.
Also consult Tutorial letter 102/2022.
• School visits and supervision
A Unisa teaching practice supervisor may visit you at the school where you are doing your teaching
practice in order to support you with general teaching practice aspects, to observe your lesson
planning and presentation, and to provide you with feedback. These visits would, however, depend on
Covid regulations. The Teaching Practice placement administrative office and/or Teaching Practice
supervisor will contact you well in advance to make the necessary arrangements.
• The supervisor will call you, introduce him or herself and give you his or her contact details.
You must write down the name and telephone or cell number of the supervisor.
• If there is, any problem regarding school visits by the supervisor, call the Teaching Practice
Placement Office or coordinator and give them the full particulars of the supervisor. The
Teaching Practice Placement Office will not be able to help you if you do not know the name
of the supervisor.
• In the event of absence on the day of the school visit by the supervisor, you should
immediately notify the supervisor and not the Teaching Practice Office.
• Any postponement should be agreed upon between the supervisor and the student.
• Students are expected to assist the supervisors with directions to the schools.
• Students may under no circumstances be absent from the school on the day of the visit by the
supervisor.
• Duration of teaching practice
For this module, you need to complete Assignments 50 - 58 as evidence of your teaching practice
experience. The teaching practice period for PCF410X is ten weeks (50 days):
• A teaching practice period of TEN weeks (50 days) at an ECE centre and at a primary school
(3 weeks must be in Grade R and 7 weeks in Grade 1-3 classes.)
• Your must spend at least one week in each of the tree grades (Grade 1-3) and then decide in
which grades you would like to spend the remainder of the weeks.
• You may plan to visit the above centres/schools according to your own personal
circumstances, taking the following into consideration:
- You have to complete the teaching practice periods at a school where UNISA has placed
you.
- The due date for the assignments will be made available on myUnisa. No extension is
possible for the submission of assignments (portfolios/workbooks) as you have eight
months to complete the ten weeks teaching practice.

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- You should allow yourself time to gain sufficient insight into all the theoretical subjects
(PCP4065, PCF4076, PCF4088, PCP4099), before you start with teaching practice and
the completion of Assignments 50 - 58.
- Teaching Practice activities cannot be carried over from one year to the other and
must be completed in the year for which you register for PCF410X.
• You are advised to do your teaching practice early in the year.
9 ASSESSMENT
9.1 Assessment criteria
The assessment criteria are included in the different Tutorial letters (TL103- TL111).
9.2 Assessment plan
To complete this module, you need to submit 11 assignments (assignment 01 and 02 and
Assignments 50-58).
Information on where to submit your assignments will be made available to you via the myUnisa site
for this module.
Assignments (sometimes referred to as portfolios or workbooks) are seen as part of the study
material for this module. As you do the assignments, study the reading texts, consult other resources,
discuss the work with fellow students or do research, you are actively engaged in learning. Looking at
the assessment criteria given for each assignment will help you understand what is required of you
more clearly.
In some cases, additional assessment might be available on the myUnisa site for your module.
The summary of year mark and the examination mark is as follows:
Year mark: Assignments 01 and 02 20%
Examination mark (Portfolios): Assignments 50 - 58 80%
Final mark: 100%
You will notice that all your assignments contribute to the final mark. Please make sure that your
assignments reach the university well before the due dates. Although students may work together
when preparing assignments, each student must write and submit his or her own individual
assignment. In other words, you must submit your own lessons. It is unacceptable for students to
submit identical assignments on the basis that they worked together. That is copying (a form of
plagiarism) and none of these assignments will be marked. Furthermore, you may be penalised or
subjected to disciplinary proceedings by the university.
9.3 Assignment due dates
• There are no assignment due dates included in this tutorial letter.
• Assignment due dates will be made available to you on the landing page of myUnisa for this
module. We envisage that the due dates will be available to you upon registration.
• Please start working on your assignments as soon as you register for the module.

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• Log on to the myUnisa site for this module to obtain more information on the due dates for the
submission of the assignments.
9.4 Submission of assignments
• Modules offered by Unisa are either blended (meaning that we use a combination of printed and
online material to engage with you) or online (all information is available via the internet). In all
cases of online engagement, we use myUnisa as our virtual campus. This module is a fully online
module.
• From 2022, the myUnisa virtual campus will be offered via a new learning management system.
This is an online system that is used to administer, document and deliver educational material to
you and support engagement with you.
• Look out for information from your lecturer as well as other Unisa platforms to determine how to
access the virtual myUnisa module site.
• Information on the tools that will be available to engage with the lecturer and fellow students to
support your learning will also be communicated via various platforms.
• The University undertakes to communicate as clearly and as frequently as is necessary to ensure
optimum advantage in the use of the new learning management system.
• Additional information on the use of the myUnisa site for the module, as well as features to engage
and communicate with your lecturer and other students will also be made available via the online
site for the module.
• Therefore, log on to the myUnisa site for your module to gain more information on where to
complete and/or upload your assignments and how to communicate with your lecturer.
9.5 The assignment
As indicated in section 9.2, you need to complete 11 assignments for this module.
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS
TEACHING PRACTICE PLACEMENT (Year
Mark)
Year Mark Contribution
TUTORIAL
LETTER
101
Assignment 01
COMPULSORY (Available on myUnisa)
Assignment 02
Self-reflective assignment
Attendance register
Must be submitted with your portfolios
COMPULSORY
50%
50%
SCHOOL-BASED PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS
The percentage indicates the contribution towards the examination mark.
All assignments are compulsory.
Consult myUnisa for the assignments and due dates

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Assignment
Number
Name and Tutorial letter %
50 Reception Year (Tutorial letter 103) 20 %
CONSULT
MYUNISA
FOR
THE
DUE
DATES
51 Reading, writing and spelling (Tutorial letter 104) 10 %
52 Art and Handwork (Tutorial letter 105) 10 %
53 Health (Tutorial letter 106) 10 %
54 Movement activities (Tutorial letter 107) 10 %
55 Music activities (Tutorial letter 108) 10 %
56 Mathematics (Tutorial letter 109) 10 %
57 Science and Technology (Tutorial letter 110) 10 %
58 Management (Tutorial letter 111) 10%
TOTAL 100%
9.6 Submission of assignments
You may only submit written or typed assignments electronically via myUnisa. Assignments
may not be submitted by post, fax or email. For detailed information and requirements as far as
assignments are concerned, see the brochure Study @ Unisa, which is available on myUnisa.
PLEASE NOTE: Enquiries about assignments (e.g. whether or not the University has received your
assignment or the date on which an assignment was returned to you) must be viewed on myUnisa.
Please do not email lecturers asking if your assignment has been received.
Assignments are registered on the central Unisa system first before they are sent to lecturers. You
can therefore not email an assignment to your lecturer, because then it would mean the assignment
hasn’t been registered on the system first and Unisa will have no record of your assignment.
9.7 The assignments
All teaching practice assignments are compulsory (assignments 01 and 02 and assignments 50-
58). Please complete them and submit them as required. Assignments 01 is a multiple choice
assignment. It is available on myUnisa. Assignment 02 consists of 8 reflective questions and the
attendance register. Assignment 02 must be submitted with assignment 50-58. This assignment is
available on myUnisa, but for your convenience, it is also included in this tutorial letter. The school
based practical assignments (workbooks/portfolios) are included in Tutorial letters 103-111.
9.8 Other assessment methods
The assignments are the only method of assessment for this module.

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9.9 The examination
9.9.1 Examination admission
Examination admission (i.e. to submitting the portfolios) is solely dependent on submission of
Assignment 01.
The Department of Education requires the university to prove that a student was active during the
period of tuition before the student will be subsidised by the Department of Education. Senate has
approved that the submission of a compulsory assignment will be used to prove activity and that
students will be admitted to the examination by submitting the assignment.
The Examination Section and not your lecturers administer admission to the examination. Please
study Study @ Unisa and contact the Examination Section should you have a problem with
admission to the examination. Applications for rechecking or remarking should also be submitted to
the Examination Section.
There is no written examination at the end of the year for PCF410X; however, Assignment 01 and 50 –
58 (the portfolio/examination mark) must be submitted on or before the due date indicated on
myUnisa. A mark of 50 % or higher must be obtained for each assignment in order to pass.
You will be notified of your final mark for PCF410X, together with the results of your other written
examinations, early in December. The teaching practice module may NOT be carried over to the next
year. It has to be completed in the year of registration.
Your final promotion mark comprises the following:
Year mark: Assignments 01 (MCQ) and 02 (reflection and attendance register 20%
Examination mark (Portfolios): Assignments 50 - 58 80%
Final mark: 100%
9.9.2 How will this work in practice?
• Your mark will be calculated by the Examination Department at the end of the year.
• The final mark is the result that will be released to you by the University.
• A mark of 50 % must be obtained for all the assignments in order to pass.
• A final pass mark for this module is 50%, and a distinction mark is 75%.
• Permission for the late submission of assignments will only be granted in extreme cases
where a medical certificate or other relevant documents are pre-sented.
• Please note that all assignments must be submitted online.
• Because of the importance of assignments, we advise you to make a copy of all your
completed assignments before you submit them, and retain these copies in case there are
any queries.
• Make sure that your name, address, student number, module code and the number of the
assignment, appear on each of your assignments
• You have the responsibility to ensure that all assignments reached UNISA. If any of the
assignments is outstanding, it may result in a fail of the module. Check regularly and
re-submit a copy where necessary.
• If we cannot open your assignment or if it is too big, you will get a cancellation note on
your mylife email address. Contact your lecturers immediately.

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10 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Study @ Unisa brochure contains an A-Z guide of the most relevant study information.
The following are frequently asked questions by students who are registered for Teaching
Practice Modules:
• Can I do my Teaching Practice in a school where I am doing my internship?
Possibly. However, the Teaching Practice Office (TPO) may request that you be placed
at another school to ensure that all the requirements for Teaching Practice are met.
• I will be relocating to China (or anywhere in the world, but outside South Africa); can I do my
Teaching Practice there?
You can do your Teaching Practice at the place in which you reside on condition the
schools there can accommodate you and allow you to teach according to the policy of
teaching practice as laid down by the university.
• Will a supervisor visit me during my Teaching Practice time at a school?
A supervisor may visit you during your Teaching Practice time if everything goes
according to Teaching Practice plans at the TPO. Full-time teachers may also be visited.
Please note that if you do not receive a visit from a supervisor, this will have no
influence on your final result.
• What is the procedure to be followed in case there is a change to my school placement?
Student enquiries can be made directly to the relevant workstations as demarcated for
each province and country. Please refer to the table with contact details provided in the
relevant tutorial letter.
• What should I do if I want to transfer my Teaching Practice module to the following year?
Teaching Practice has to be completed in the year of registration. Students may cancel
their Teaching Practice modules through Student Admissions and Registrations. In this
case, a student will not receive any financial benefit from such cancellation and will
remain liable for the full fees for the cancelled Teaching Practice module(s).
• Whom should I contact if I experience problems with the academic content (Assignment 50-58)
of my Teaching Practice module?
All enquiries related to academic content of your Teaching Practice module should be
directed to the relevant lecturer.
• Who do I contact to find out if Unisa has received my Teaching Practice assignment(s)?
Use myUnisa to track your assignment. Any queries can be directed the Assignment
section’s email: assign@unisa.ac.za
POLICY REGARDING THE TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT OF STUDENT TEACHERS
UNISA follows a school-based initial teacher education model. In this model, partner schools and HEIs (Higher
Education Institutions) exercise a joint responsibility for the planning and management of programmes, and the

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training and assessment of student teachers. Schools have the responsibility to train student teachers to teach
their subjects and learning areas, to assess learners and to manage classes. Schools also have to supervise
and assess student teacher’s competence. HEIs have the responsibility to ensure that programmes meet the
requirements for academic validation, to present programmes for accreditation, to award qualifications to
successful student teachers.
The idea that schools should play a major role in ITE (Initial Teacher Education) is not a new one. As early as
1944, an investigation in England looked into the “supply, recruitment and training of teachers” and concluded
that the key to more effective teacher education was to give the practical side of preparation greater weight. It
was proposed that the staff in schools in which student teachers were placed for teaching practice should be
primarily responsible for directing and supervising them. It was also suggested that in order to achieve more
training that is effective and reflective practice, training institutions such as higher education institutions should
take responsibility for the theoretical education and the practical training of their students in schools. Sixty-four
years later, these proposals are still relevant and come to the forefront in current South African national policy
documents such as Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) and The National Policy Framework for Teacher
Education and Development in South Africa (2007).
The national policy documents’ stipulations and requirements in this regard are included in Unisa’s programmes
(but can also be accessed at: www.education.gov.za). According to The National Policy Framework for Teacher
Education and Development in South Africa (2007), this move to “full partnership” is irreversible.
Essentially, the partnership involves the following features:
• Student teachers work closely with experienced teachers in schools, and work particularly closely with
mentors who have responsibility for their school-based progress.
• Student teachers are not “thrown in at the deep end” as they very often used to be in earlier teacher-
education programmes; student teachers are encouraged to observe experienced teachers “in action”
before embarking upon teaching themselves.
• School mentors and HEI advisors/tutors who visit student teachers in the schools then give them
feedback on their progress.
• Student teachers are encouraged to evaluate their own progress, which is done at the university and in
the school – this is called the reflective-practitioner model.
Thus HEIs, in partnership with schools, determine whether student teachers reach what is termed QTS
(Qualified Teacher Status). In order to achieve QTS, student teachers have to demonstrate to the partnership
that they have reached a certain level of competence.
The present system has considerable advantages for students, schools and HEIs. Prior to the establishment of
this partnership, many student teachers complained about what was called the “theory/practice divide”, where
much of the work done in the HEI was irrelevant to the practical context of the school. Practising teachers played
little part in the training process, and for many student teachers the programmes on offer provided inadequate
preparation for full-time teaching. By contrast, a partnership can provide very effective means by which student
teachers can learn the complex craft of teaching, with the analytical environment of the HEIs enhancing the
professional experience gained in schools.
The complex craft of teaching and analytical environment of the HEI’s are seen as essential in the partnership.
Against the background of the above remarks, we sincerely hope that you will enjoy the opportunity to become
involved with, and actively participate in all aspects of school life!

17. PCF410X/101
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ANNEXURE A - ASSIGNMENT 01
MODULE CODE: PCF410X
DUE DATE: CONSULT MYUNISA FOR THE DUE DATE AND THE ACTUAL ASSIGNMENT
This assignment contributes 10% towards your year mark.
ANNEXURE B – ASSIGNMENT 02
Please see next page.

18. PCF410X/101
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19. PCF410X/101
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ANNEXURE B - ASSIGNMENT 02
MODULE CODE: PCF410X
DUE DATE: Please consult myUnisa for the due date.
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE REGARDING TEACHING PRACTICE
• This assignment contributes 10% to your final year mark.
• This assignment consists of NINE questions that includes the attendance register. With this
assignment, we need to know to what extent was your teaching practice successful and under
which conditions did that take place. Generally speaking, your responses will also cast some
light on your experiences with regard to teaching practice activities as carried out by you.
• Complete the following open-ended questions to the best of your ability: Please give as much
information as possible.
• Cut the assignment along the dotted line and submit only the assignment – not the
whole Tutorial Letter.
1. Description of your school (location, age, facilities, etc).
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2. Description of your classroom (size, facilities, learning and teaching support materials,
classroom atmosphere, etc).
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3. Description of your learners (number per class, level of readiness to learn, etc).
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20. PCF410X/101
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4. Description of your mentor/subject/learning area teacher (knowledge, teaching
experience, helpfulness, guidance, knowledge of CAPS, etc).
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5. Description of your personal background (Are you teaching at present? In addition, if
so, for how long and which subjects? On the other hand, is this your first teaching
experience?) Description of your qualifications (where and when did you acquire them?)
etc.
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6. Description of any other appropriate information, which has had an influence on your
teaching practice experience.
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7. Description of your experience with UNISA’s teaching practice arrangements,
placements, school visits, and support and so on.
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8. Short account of your teaching practice experience (positive and/or negative). ..........
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Please remember to complete the attendance register (question 9) as well.

21. PCF410X/101
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Question 9
ATTENDANCE REGISTER OF STUDENT TEACHER AT SCHOOL
Please note that the student and the school-based mentor should complete this register on a daily
basis. The principal is expected to sign this register at the end of the Teaching Practice period
and you must submit the register together with Assignment 02. You must keep a copy of this
register and assignment before submitting them to the university.
Name and Student number ………………………………………………………………………………...…………………………….
Name of school:……………………………………………………………………………………..…………….………………………..
Address:………………………………………………………..…………………..………………………………………………………..
Contact details:………………………………………………………………………………………………...….………………………..
Email:……………………………………………………………………………………..…………….……………………..…………….
Name and Surname of Mentor: ……………………………………………..………………………………………………..………….
Name and Surname of Principal/HOD:………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Week 1
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 2
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 3
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date

22. PCF410X/101
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Week 4
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 5
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 6
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 7
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 8
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date

23. PCF410X/101
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Week 9
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Week 10
Student number Module Grade Student signature Date Signature of mentor Date
Declaration by the School Principal/HOD
I, ……………………………………………, the Principal/Head of Department of the above school confirm that
………………………………………………... has attended/did not attend his/her full Teaching Practice period.
Date:……………………………………………………..…
Signature:……………………………………………..…
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO YOU. Please make sure
that the form is signed and stamped with the school stamp.
[50]
Total Assignment 02: [100]
School stamp