A needs assessment in English and language arts conducted for the Native Indian Teacher Education Program at the University of British Columbia

The purpose of this study was to identify educational needs of students in the NITEP program with particular regard for English and language arts. The study was designed to involve college and university instructors, sponsor teachers, and senior and junior students in assessing students' needs on instruments specifically designed for this purpose. Respondents were asked to rank order their perceptions of NITEP students' capability in skills of oral and written expression as demonstrated in academic coursework and student teaching. I terns describing teaching competencies in the language arts were included in the student teaching questionnaire. The responses to the questionnaire concerning language competency in university coursework indicated that although instructors identified more skills needing improvement than did students, for the most part the two groups perceived similar needs. In particular, the skills required for argumentive and expository essay writing were seen as needing improvement. In responding to the questionnaire concerning English and language arts in student teaching, sponsor teachers perceived needs in the quality and use of voice which were not perceived by the students. Students and sponsor teachers both, however, saw needs for improvement in general knowledge of children's literature and early language background. Some of the recommendations put forward in light of this needs assessment are the following: 1. Students who may need extra help in English should be identified on admission and instructors alerted to their needs. 2. Whenever possible such students should be counselled to take English improvement courses at colleges or through agencies such as the Open Learning Institute before admission. 3- NITEP should ask the English Department to offer a NITEP English 100 section whenever feasible. 4. Academic English courses should be scheduled in the day-time, and students' attendance and participation in them given high priority in NITEP scheduling of courses and teaching practica. 5. Language arts and reading methodology courses should be offered concurrently, rather than consecutively, and include more children's literature and native Indian content. 6. The program staff, advisors, and instructors in Speech Arts, should meet to consider the question of quality and use of voice with respect to student teaching. 7- Speech Arts should be offered at the beginning of Year One in the program. 8. More opportunities for all instructors and program staff to meet together should be provided. 9. Study skills should be taught by individual NITEP instructors for their own courses. 10. English tutoring programs should be expanded when necessary to respond to students' specific problems with language. 11. An assessment of students' English competency should be an ongoing process in NITEP. Since there are new NITEP students every year, and the program is frequently offered at new sites, the students' needs with regard to English and language arts may differ from year to year.Education, Faculty ofLanguage and Literacy Education (LLED), Department ofGraduat