FE Exit Requirements

Field Experience Exit Requirements

Field Experience Exit Requirements for Teachers' Professional Conduct and Ethics (Exit Requirements) are the requirements the student teachers have to fulfill upon graduation to make sure they are professionally ethical and meet the eight codes of professional conduct required of teachers (Uphold professional belief, Honour the rule of law, Be a role model, Uphold probity and integrity, Be committed and responsible, Care for students, Respect privacy, and Safeguard professionalism). The new set of Exit Requirements consists of three components:

• Exit Requirement I — Fulfillment of Assessment Requirement of the Enhanced Field Experience
• Exit Requirement II — Satisfactory Completion of Courses related to Teachers' Professional Conduct and Ethics (2 courses)
• Exit Requirement III — Fulfillment of relevant Co-curricular Requirement (2 or 4 sessions of experiential learning)

A) Exit Requirement I: Fulfillment of Assessment Requirement of the Enhanced Field Experience

Under Exit Requirement I, student teachers are required to demonstrate their achievement of eight codes of professional conduct through undertaking the Field Experience (FE) Portfolio, feedback by placement schools and FE Exit Interview, and assessed by both school supporting teachers/principals and university FE tutors/coordinators at different exit checkpoints to ensure comprehensive assessment.

Three/Two Exit Check Points for FE

*The 1^st Exit Check Point is only applicable for full-time BEd/DD programmes.

1^st Exit Check Point: FE Foundation Course (Full-time BEd/DD only)

Student teachers will go through the assessment items and collectively demonstrate their performance in the ePortfolio. Mentors in the "Professional Authentic Context Learning" (mentorship) provide professional advice and discussion on the role of teachers in Hong Kong.

Student teachers will retake the course if they fail any component. The programmes will be alerted to the failure cases and advised to follow up, such as recommending that students switch to other non-BEd programmes within their faculty.

2^nd Exit Check Point: BPI & 1^st part of FE Portfolio / TPI & FE Portfolio (Reflective)

In the 1^st part of the learning portfolio, student teachers are required to reflect on their BPI/TPI experience and performance, conduct Ethical Decision Analysis, reflect on their personal conduct and teacher professionalism, and formulate an improvement plan.

Student teachers' performance will be assessed by the University's Professional FE Tutors/Supervisors. School principals/teachers of placement schools are also invited to participate in the overall assessment of student teachers' overall block practice performance. Student teachers must obtain a Pass in the BPI/TPI and its FE Portfolio, and a Pass/Satisfactory in the School Feedback Form in order to pass the 2^nd Exit Check Point for FE.

Student teachers who fail the BPI/TPI will be put on FE probation. The FEC or designated supporting supervisor will supervise the student teachers and consider if they can be uplifted from the FE Probation. The student teachers will be required to retake the BP once the FE probation is lifted. The student teachers who fail BPI cannot proceed to BPII.

3^rd Exit Check Point: BPII & 2^nd part of FE Portfolio / TPII & FE Portfolio (Summative and FE Interview)

Student teachers need to demonstrate their attainments in FE Intended Learning Outcomes (including eight Codes of professional conduct and behaviour of teachers) with evidence.

Student teachers' performance will be assessed by the University's Professional FE Tutors/Supervisors and school principals/teachers of placement schools. School principals/teachers or school advisors will also be invited to conduct Exit Interviews to validate student teachers' overall performance in FE. Student teachers must obtain a Pass or above in BPII/TPII and its FE Portfolio, a Satisfactory grade in the FE Interview and a Pass/Satisfactory in the School Feedback Form by Supporting Teachers in order to pass the 3^rd Exit Check Point for FE.

Student teachers who fail the BPII/TPII will be put on FE probation. The FEC or designated supporting supervisor will supervise the student teachers and consider if they can be uplifted from the FE Probation. The student teachers will be required to retake the BP once the FE probation is lifted.

FE Portfolio

The FE & Professional Learning Portfolio Course is a cross-years course offered in parallel with BPI and BPII / FE Semester for student teachers of full-time BEd/DD programmes. The course is offered in the form of small group tutorials to guide and assess student teachers' critical and in-depth self-reflection on FE by the Professional FE Tutors. Student teachers of part-time BEd and PGDE programmes are required to submit a FE Portfolio in each block of teaching practice.

School Feedback as a Part of the FE Assessment

Feedback from the placement school will play a role in the FE Assessment of the FE course(s). Besides University Professional FE Tutors/Supervisors, student teachers' FE will also be assessed by members of teaching profession communities throughout their FE study, so that student teachers will gain real-world feedback on whether their competencies, conduct and skills can meet the standard expected of a professional teacher upon graduation.

At the FE course(s), Supporting Teachers will serve dual roles as student teachers' mentors and assessors and participate in student teachers' assessments about professional conduct, teaching performance and reflections. The assessment will be conducted via a school feedback form on a Pass or Fail / Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory basis. The assessment is both formative (in BPI/TPI) and summative (in BPII/TPII). Student teachers on BP must obtain a Pass/Satisfactory in the assessment by the Supporting Teachers in order to pass the FE course(s).

Field Experience Interview

Student teachers will participate in the "Field Experience Interview" after completion of BPII / FE Semester / TPII to showcase their professional growth throughout their Field Experience study. The Interview panel consists of Professional FE Tutors / FE Coordinators / Supervisors and education professionals, such as experienced School Principals of local schools. Student teachers must pass the Interview to pass the relevant FE course.

B) Exit Requirement II: Satisfactory Completion of Courses related to Teachers' Professional Conduct and Ethics (2 Courses)

Student teachers are required to complete two courses related to Teachers' Professional Conduct and Ethics satisfactorily. This is to ensure that student teachers possess the conceptual understanding and correct interpretation of the codes before applying what they have learnt to actual practice, and to reinforce student teachers' understanding and correct interpretation of the codes.

C) Exit Requirement III: Fulfillment of Co-curricular Requirement (Two/Four Sessions of Experiential Learning)

To instill and promote student teachers' self-awareness and self-discipline in the professional conduct and norms of behaviour required of teachers and their consolidation of commitment and values to maintain high standards of the teaching profession, student teachers are required to fulfill a non-credit-bearing co-curricular requirement throughout their entire study period.

The co-curricular requirement will take the form of two/four sessions of Experiential Learning Activities entitled "Your Journey to Becoming a Professional Teacher". The sessions complement student teachers' formal curriculum learning throughout their entire study period, the existing FE components in particular, to gradually facilitate student teachers' development of professional roles, conduct and norms of behaviour as promulgated by EDB's Guidelines on Teachers' Professional Conduct.