Initial Findings on the Pursuit of Excellence in Teacher Training (Report‪)‬

1. Introduction Since Dealing's Report [1] universities in UK have acknowledged the importance of preparing new teaching staff with basic teaching skills as part of the quality assurance for teaching and learning. The commitment of the institutions is demonstrated by the setting up of units responsible for ensuring quality teaching and learning [2]. These units conduct training on teaching and learning, promote good practices and carry out research in teaching and learning. Studies carried out [3] have reported evidence of a range of positive changes in university teachers in the training group, and in their students, and a contrasting lack of change, or negative changes, in untrained teachers from the control group. Many institutions of higher learning in Malaysia have collaborative arrangements with UK universities to franchise their degree programmes. Likewise, these institutions are expected to provide training to their new teachers. They have also set up units to provide initial training to new teachers and more advanced trainings in specific areas relating to teaching and learning [4].