WHAT COUNTS AS PREPARATION PRACTICES FOR ENGLISH ACROSS THE CURRICULUM (EAC) AMONG SOUTH AFRICAN STUDENT TEACHERS?
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study was to explore the practices used by three South African universities to prepare student teachers to integrate English language skills and subject content across the curriculum. Specifically, we report on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) preparation in EAC in a context where English is a second language and the medium of instruction. Initial Teacher Education as the preliminary process for entering the profession has been a subject of fierce debate. Globally, consensus has never been reached on how student teachers should be effectively prepared for the classroom (Taylor, 2016). Driven by government policies, social pressure, globalisation and market forces, ITE has
been a subject of empirical scrutiny which has not yielded common practices for the profession. In fact, Mensah, Boateng and Pillay (2018) note that, even with this constant focus, ITE has not been shielded from ongoing criticism and restructuring. This attention results from the need to maintain excellence in teaching, as a result of a realisation that its quality is dependent on the type of preparation practices that student teachers undergo (Darling- Hammond & Lieberman, 2012). In the literature, researchers suggest that quality is achieved through well-developed teaching knowledge and the attainment of higher qualifications. Using Finland as an example, Darling-Hammond (2017) provides details on the way well-developed teacher education systems are a result of
