Their experience, their story: Nauruan teachers describe their three-year journey in the teaching profession after completing an Australian online teacher education program

A School of Education Seminar held on 28 August, 2019 presented by Associate Professor Pep Serow and Roberta Thompson

In the online environment, teacher educators’ involvement with graduates of our programs often ceases at graduation. It is difficult to ascertain the value of a program, to meet the educational needs of a community, without considering the subsequent in-service experience. In remote Pacific Island locations, countries search and trial different approaches to delivering teacher education programs. The aim being to build local teaching capacity whilst providing equity and access in participation and opportunity. The Nauruan Government, in partnership with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia and the University of New England, Armidale, Australia, developed an online two-year Associate Degree in Teaching (Pacific Focus) with the addition of full-time on-island face-to-face and dedicated online support. This enabled students to remain in their communities for the majority of their studies. Some graduates chose to continue their studies and work towards a Bachelor of Education (Pacific Focus) and continue teaching full-time. Whilst the completion rate of the Associate Degree is high, the transition from teacher education student to being a full-time teacher tells an interesting story of challenges and personal reflection on what it means to put their pedagogical ideas into practice. This seminar will provide a brief overview of the Nauru Teacher Education Project and the experiences of six graduates, informed by interview data, to share their personal challenges and reflections after three years teaching. Themes will be explored that shed light on the impact of online teacher education programs and the perceived challenges in the small remote Pacific Island context.

Presentation