Student Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching and Learning Conditions in Australia,Fiji and Maldives.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of teaching and learning condition by a number of groups of primary student teachers in Fiji and the Maldives. In Fiji two groups were surveyed; second year Primary Certificate student teachers from Lautoka Teachers' College and second year Australian students from a Bachelor in Teaching program who had completed a three week overseas Fiji practicum. The student teachers in the Maldives were from the second year English and Dhivehi medium Primary Teaching Certificate program. The survey instrument was completed after three weeks of practice teaching experience.

Three open-ended questions asked students to: describe the environment of their classroom and any other learning spaces used during the prac; identify the 'things' in their learning environment that encouraged or facilitated the children's learning; and thirdly to describe the 'things' in the learning environment that discouraged or frustrated the children's learning. The data were analyzed thematically and the results are presented as general themes and by country. Several strategies are suggested to address the crowded and cramped classrooms, negative teacher behaviour to slower students and the importance of providing visual stimulus and encouragement for childrens' work which were some of the issues which emerged from the students responses.