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The University of Cincinnati (UC) in the Unites States of America (USA) delegation recently visited University of Botswana (UB) Faculty of Education to explore Teacher Education Models with the aim of enhancing learning and making improvements to existing practices.

The delegation toured UB campus and Government secondary and primary schools. The delegation comprised three lecturers and 17 students. During a presentation on Teaching Practice in Botswana, Dr Sinvula Robert Masene, Acting Teaching Practice Coordinator at the Faculty of Education, underlined the international standard of the UB's teaching programme. He noted that the Faculty of Education comprised eight (8) departments dedicated to teacher training. In addition, he mentioned that the departments also offered programmes focused on internships.

Dr Masene also described teaching practice as an experience provided for teaching practice students. He said the aim was for students to practise skills they learnt from the methodology courses. He further noted that the objective was for students to demonstrate the skills they had acquired to effectively deliver content. He added that UB's goals included developing teachers with attributes and qualities that promoted creativity and innovation in learners.

Dr Masene also highlighted that UB's teacher education programmes offered two (2) pathways: the Bachelor of Education and the Post Graduate Diploma in Education. He added that the current teaching practice exercises had consistently been effective, producing quality graduates who competed successfully in the global market.

He said the main objective of the UB Teacher Education Programme was to introduce student teacher to their profession through practice and exposure to associated routines by assisting students to foster links between theory and practice, experience new ideas in a real-life situation as well as to get exposure to the complex nature of their field.

Highlighting on the challenges of the current teacher practice model, Dr Masene said it included little support for preservice teacher experience, heavy reliance on schools for supervision with little support from UB as well as poor preservice teacher reflective processes and opportunities.

Associate Professor of Education at the University of Cincinnati, Dianna Greivenkamp, said the University was located in the heart of Cincinnati city. She observed that the institution's mission revolved around urban education, aiming to promote equity through education for students within the city.

Professor Greivenkamp also said the purpose for the visit to Africa was to learn and improve teacher practice and take lessons back home and use them to improve outcomes for marginalised students in the United States of America.