The study examines the career decision-making of Swiss academic high school students opting for a career in a non-traditional, gender-typed area of work during the transition to higher education. Based on a longitudinal study, a qualitative study with 11 female students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and 13 male student teachers was conducted in order to analyse their perceptions of the career decision-making process. They felt supported by their parents and teachers. Women showed a strong sense of identity as future scientists without mentioning specific career goals. Men, by contrast, referred to job securityrelated considerations and emphasised the importance of role models for their choice. Female students emphasised their status of being 'unique in a men's world' whereas male student teachers highlighted the role of 'masculinity in the classroom'.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine career-change student teachers’ practice-based learning in teacher training, with a special focus on the support they received.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a qualitative content analysis of 15 group interviews, including 58 career-change student teachers and focuses on their learning at university and the workplace.
Findings
This paper indicates that career-change student teachers’ learning is task-related and based on interactions. It benefits from the support provided by actors at the university and workplace. Their learning is highly self-regulated and built on skills from prior professional and life experience. However, behaviourist learning and trial-and-error learning strategies are more often mentioned than constructionist learning and goal-oriented learning.
Practical implications
The findings underline the fact that universities and schools can enhance career-change student teachers’ learning by providing professional support, helping them to form links between experience from their prior profession, as well as their knowledge acquired at the university and experience from the workplace.
Originality/value
Until now, few studies have addressed workplace learning in teacher education. The present study aims to address this lack. Moreover, the study shows how career-change student teachers deal with the challenge of bridging the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during practice-based teacher education.
Following a major shift in Swiss teacher education in the 1990s, teachers are now educated at the university level with a more research-oriented focus than before the reform. Furthermore, the curriculum in teacher education is not only more academically oriented, but also concurrently practice-focused. Swiss student teachers are highly involved in the clinical practical component from the outset. This approach provides more learning opportunities that help to strengthen the relationship between theory and practice. Prior to the reform, reflection on teaching was mainly incorporated into practical training. However, since the reform, reflection has been strongly embedded in the entire curriculum in order to support student teachers' reflective competence. The aim of this article is to discuss how students can be supported in developing a reflective attitude and a research-oriented stance, which have traditionally been seen as core elements of professional development. Three learning settings are presented, ranging from a more traditional approach to conducting research, to a current video-based training programme. Finally, consequences for teacher education are discussed.
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