Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Doctor in Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies in the Faculty of education at the University of Zululand, 2018. / In an effort to understand why there is a general outcry about the poor quality of teachers who are produced by many institutions of higher learning, despite the practice teaching which is highly emphasised and offered to all pre-service teachers who intend to become teachers; this study sought to evaluate the pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach. The expectation in education is that pre-service teachers should complete their studies having been adequately prepared to teach. On the contrary, most of them exit the programme underequipped to teach. Within the qualitative methodology, a case study of a South African University was used. Sixteen third year B.Ed. pre-service teachers who were placed in uMkhanyakude and King Cetshwayo districts were purposively selected and observed during their practice teaching period. They were also interviewed and documents which consisted of their files as well as university supervisors’ reports were analysed after practice teaching. Furthermore, sixteen subject mentors were interviewed because they spend adequate time with the pre-service teachers in schools during practice teaching session. The findings revealed, among others, that although the pre-service teachers displayed appropriate professionalism in schools, most of them lacked content knowledge as well as pedagogical skills. However, subject mentors portrayed them as being outstanding in content and pedagogy. Another finding was that the pre-service teachers did not have adequate competence on lesson presentation and development. They also lacked confidence in maintaining order in their classrooms. Because of the above mentioned findings, this study therefore suggests, among other things, the need for the institution of higher learning to revisit the curriculum of pre-service teachers and involve the partner schools during the redesigning of pre-service teachers’ curriculum to strengthen the confidence of both pre-service teachers and subject mentors. It also posits that pre-service teachers should be provided with sufficient teaching practice session in order to be well equipped with all activities that are rendered in schools from the beginning to the end of the school period.

The paper analyzes the potential and possibilities of mixed learning as a didactic means of implementing the transition to an integrated learning model involving information and educational environments and resources. The existing models of mixed learning are described, the aspects of effective use and integration of information and educational environments in the educational process of the College are identified. The structure of the information and educational environment of the SPO teacher and the content of methodological support for the implementation of mixed learning in the SPO system are presented. / В работе анализируется потенциал и возможности смешанного обучения как дидактического средства реализации перехода к интегрированной модели обучения с привлечением информационно-образовательных сред и ресурсов. Описаны существующие модели смешанного обучения, выявляются аспекты эффективного использования и интеграции информационно- образовательных сред в образовательном процессе колледжа. Представлена структура информационно-образовательной среды преподавателя СПО и содержание методического сопровождения реализации смешанного обучения в системе СПО.