Longitudinal Teacher Education and Workforce Study (ltews) Final Report

4.4 Entry into Teacher Education

Across Australia, entry into teacher education is managed by state and territory-based tertiary admissions centres, with variations in practices across jurisdictions. Generally, entry into teacher education programs requires candidates to meet minimum tertiary entrance requirements for the state/territory, satisfy the entry pre-requisites for the specific program, and to be selected in competition with other eligible applicants.

Ingvarson, Beavis and Kleinhenz’s (2004) mapping of selection processes found that teacher education providers used tertiary entrance scores as the main pre-requisite of admission for undergraduate degrees, and that smaller providers appeared to use a greater range of selection procedures. However, in 2011 the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) was the determining factor for entry into ITE programs for only 40 per cent of domestic undergraduate students, and 27 per cent of all students ― 72 per cent of all ITE undergraduate program candidates are granted entry based on measures other than ATAR (Australian Institute For Teaching and School Leadership, 2013; Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, 2012a). The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership calculated that of the successful applicants for whom entry was based on ATAR, 28 per cent were scores of 80 and above and the majority were between 61 and 80 (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership, 2011c). In addition, it should be noted that scholars like Teese and Polesel (2003) have problematised the use of ATAR as the primary measure for university entry finding ATAR to be highly correlated with socio-economic status and more reliable as a predictor of socio-economic status than of academic capability. Alongside this research, Gale and Mills (2013), citing national and international literature (see Dobozy, 2008; Tranter, Murdoch, & Saville, 2007; Win & Miller, 2005), report that students from low socio-economic status backgrounds enrolled in university programs perform similarly to students from high socio-economic status backgrounds.

In the mapping component of this project, LTEWS found that for undergraduate degree programs, institutions often listed ATAR and results of pre-requisite Year 12 subjects (typically general mathematics or mathematical methods and English) as the primary criterion for school leaver entry. It also showed that they take into account previous education, qualifications and work experience of mature-age and career change applicants in order to determine entry into teacher education programs. For entry into postgraduate/graduate teacher education programs, applicants generally require a 3-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline other than teaching. For secondary teaching, that degree must include successful study in disciplines that enable students to qualify for two single teaching method subjects or one double method. Methods usually require a background of study for at least two years. In the main, postgraduate teacher education programs assume discipline knowledge expertise prior to entering the program and this is the basis of entry requirements and teacher registration requirements.

Other measures less frequently considered for entry into teacher education programs are interviews, portfolios, auditions, character references, residential location, socio-economic status and evidence of prior learning. Portfolios and auditions are most common in the programs with specialisations in Music and Fine Arts. Some examples are included in the mapping report (See Appendix 1). For example, pre-requisites for admission to Queensland University of Technology’s Graduate Diploma in Education (Senior Years)/Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance, Drama or Visual Arts) include successful audition for the dance major, and a successful portfolio and interview for the visual arts major.

Moreover, the mapping activity also revealed that factors such as residential address and socio-economic status are typically used in alternative entry schemes with an equity agenda. For example, the University of Ballarat offers the Regional Education Entry Program (REEP). Students who apply through REEP are assessed on their demonstrated motivation to succeed and their contributions to their school and community, not just their ATAR. This program specifically seeks to increase the participation rates in higher education of students from rural and regional areas. Some institutions also offer bridging programs specifically designed to provide a pathway into teaching for school leavers with lower ATARs. For example, Victoria University operates the Portfolio Partnership Program (PPP), a partnership between the University and a selection of over 120 Victorian schools. Like REEP, the program assesses applications based on ATAR and a combination of goals, achievements and community involvement.

Box 12 lists the main findings of Section 4.4.

Box 12. Main Findings: Entry into teacher education programs ATAR as a measure of entry is only relevant for a relatively small percentage of those entering teacher education – school leavers commencing undergraduate programs. Analysis of the respondents’ age shows that between 70 to 78 per cent of LTEWS respondents over the three survey rounds did not enter their teacher education programs immediately after completing their secondary education. A majority of graduates had prior academic or trade qualifications before entering their teacher education program. About 60 per cent of those with prior qualifications held bachelor degrees and 11-12 per cent held postgraduate qualifications. More secondary graduates had prior qualifications than those in primary or early childhood. The mapping of initial teacher education component of this study shows that teacher education providers use additional measures for program entry including prior qualifications, interviews, portfolios, auditions, character references, residential location, SES and evidence of prior learning.

As the entry characteristics including ATAR cut-offs for initial teacher education programs change from year to year, in LTEWS it was not possible to show meaningful connections between the entry characteristics for the 2011 graduate cohort and career paths.

In LTEWS, the data show that many respondents had came to teaching with prior qualifications, as shown in the figure below. In Round 1, 69 per cent of respondents indicated they had academic or trade qualifications prior to undertaking their teacher education program. In Rounds 2, this group consisted of 54 per cent of all respondents and in Round 3, 64 per cent.
Figure . Graduate teachers with academic or trade qualifications in an area other than teaching
Note: Round 1 n=1,375; Round 2 n=2,765; Round 3 n=2,248

Figure 30 shows the percentage of respondents with prior qualifications, by the main area of their initial teacher education program. In all three survey rounds, the graduate teachers in the early childhood/primary area had the lowest percentage with prior qualifications but in Rounds 1 and 2 prior qualifications were held by over 54 per cent of them. The graduate teachers with the highest proportion having prior qualifications are those whose main area of study was secondary teaching.

Figure . Graduate teachers' main area of program – by previous qualifications

Table 92 below shows the breakdown of these prior qualifications. Across the three rounds of surveys, 59 to 60 per cent of graduate teachers with prior qualifications had a bachelor’s degree, 13 to 14 per cent had a certificate and 11 to 12 per cent had a qualification at the postgraduate level.

Table 92. Graduate teachers by highest qualifications in fields other than education

	Round 1		Round 2		Round 3
	n	n	n	%	n	%
Postgraduate degree level	120	12.7	171	11.5	177	12.8
Grad Diploma/Certificate level	71	7.5	105	7.1	120	8.7
Bachelor degree level	549	58.1	886	59.6	827	59.6
Advanced Diploma or Diploma level	70	7.4	121	8.1	78	5.6
Certificate level	135	14.3	204	13.7	185	13.3
TOTAL	945	100.0	1,487	100.0	1,387	100.0

As well as qualifications, approximately half of all graduate respondents in all three surveys stated they also had prior trade or industry experience before coming to teaching.

The data in the Tables and Figures above indicate that a large proportion of graduates in LTEWS did not enter teaching education programs straight from school. The table below looks at the age groups in which graduate respondents belonged at the time of answering the surveys.

Table 93. Graduate teachers by age

	Round 1		Round 2		Round 3
	n	n	n	%	n	%
20-24	403	29.8	811	29.6	480	21.5
25-29	317	23.4	779	28.4	709	31.7
30-34	155	11.4	322	11.7	288	12.9
35-39	127	9.4	232	8.5	199	8.9
40-44	158	11.7	265	9.7	234	10.5
45-49	119	8.8	182	6.6	180	8.1
50+	75	5.5	151	5.5	146	6.5
TOTAL	1,354	100.0	2,742	100.0	2,236	100.0

If graduates were entering teacher education directly from secondary school, the data would show that the majority of respondents were in the 20-24 year old age group. This is not the case. Graduates in this age group were 30 per cent of respondents in Rounds 1 and 2 and 22 per cent in Round 3. This indicates that between 70 to 78 per cent of respondents over the three survey rounds did not enter their teacher education programs immediately after completing their secondary education.