Teaching practice: University supervisors' experiences and perceptions of a cooperating physical education teacher education programme

The purpose of this research was to examine university supervisors' experiences and perceptions of a cooperating physical education teacher education (COPET) programme while on teaching practice. Teaching practice is a central tenet of physical education teacher education (PETE) preparation. The COPET programme was designed to support the triad members of student teachers, cooperating teachers and university supervisors during teaching practice. The programme was piloted with 30 student teachers, 26 cooperating teachers and 10 university supervisors during a two-week teaching practice placement. A total of six university supervisors participated in a focus group to determine their experiences and perceptions of the programme. Findings indicated that the COPET programme provided a helpful and structured framework for the role of university supervisor. Future directions for the programme revolve around universities' need to consider ways of encouraging supervisors to work collaboratively with student teachers, cooperating teachers and other university supervisors to improve the teaching practice process.