Field study program of the Philippine Normal University in SY 2006-2007: An assessment

The school year 2005-2006 saw the first year of the implementation of the revised teacher education curriculum. One of the new features of this revised curriculum is the field study (FS) program component closely tied up with the professional education (Prof Ed) courses. This FS program aims “to provide students with practical learning experiences in which they can observe, verify, reflect and experience the different components of the teaching-learning process in actual school settings” [Commissionon Higher Education (CHED), 2004]. All Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) have been guided by CHED Memorandum No. 30. Under this program, as stipulated in the implementing guidelines, the teacher education students are required to take six FS courses aligned with some Prof Ed courses, which they have to take before their student teaching or practicum. Moreover, each of the six FS courses is given one unit credit apart from the six-unit student teaching course.