Innovative learning environments in New Zealand: Student teachers’ perceptions

Abstract

Innovations in schooling and the architectural design of schools offer the opportunity to re-examine existing pedagogical practices. Graduating teachers need to be ready to teach and conversant with changing school environments and approaches to school organisation. However, there is a dearth of research that explores the student teachers’ perceptions of their experiences on practicum in innovative learning environments (ILEs). This article discusses the perceptions of over 100 student teachers undertaking primary teaching qualifications in New Zealand. An online questionnaire asked for responses to a range of statements about innovative learning environments (ILEs) and teacher education preparation for this type of school environment. Analysis of the findings indicated a wide range of experiences on professional practices, with more experience of ILEs generally leading to more positive perceptions of these environments. Student teachers perceived that more course-based preparation about ILEs was needed, though others perceived that the best way to learn about ILEs was during professional practice placements.

Perceptions About Innovative and Traditional Learning Spaces: Teachers and Students in New Zealand Primary Schools

“…Noise in teaching has long been identified as having a negative effect on students’ attention, speech perception, and educational outcomes (Everatt et al, 2011 ; Nelson et al, 2005 ; Wall, 2016 ). In innovative learning environments, dealing with noise has been challenging for student teachers, teachers, and principals (see, for example, Everatt et al, 2011 , 2019 ; Fletcher & Everatt, 2021 ). Teachers from the current study also expressed their concern over this issue.…”

“…In New Zealand, innovative learning environments are evident in (a) schools newly built, (b) schools partially rebuilt with the addition of new innovative learning blocks, and (c) existing traditional school buildings converted internally to accommodate innovative learning environments. Teachers in these spaces typically come together to work with a large group of 45–180 students from similar or combined year groups (Fletcher & Everatt, 2021 ). This could be challenging for teachers to adjust their pedagogical practices to meet a variety of learner needs (Blackmore et al, 2011 ; Mackey et al, 2017 ).…”

Adapting to the ILE Practicum: New Grammar for Changing Times in Initial Teacher Education

“…Blackmore et al (2011) advocate for including practicums in ILEs also, to support novice teachers' move into collaborative planning and teaching once they graduate. Student teachers also advocate for increased focus on ILEs in their preservice preparation courses and practicums (Fletcher & Everatt, 2021;Nelson and Johnson 2017), although practicum placement can be difficult to arrange systematically depending on the geographic location of ITE programmes and the nature of preservice teachers' enrolment (Fletcher & Everatt, 2021). Increasingly however, ITE providers do address ILEs as a learning environment configuration (Benade et al, 2018).…”

Initial teacher education students' perceptions during a practicum in primary schools: a New Zealand experience

“…The move to ILEs from traditional, single-teacher classrooms has provided another challenge in the preparation of graduating teachers. Recent research (Fletcher and Everatt, 2021) on student teachers' perspectives of completing practicums in ILEs found that the more experience student teachers have in ILEs, the more positive they are about teaching in these spaces, including the wider opportunities for collaboration with their mentor teacher and other teachers situated within the multi-teacher ILE. Thompson and Schademan (2019) described how some relationships between universities and schools are poor or ineffective as a result of student teachers being required to have more of an apprenticeship role, and mentoring practice is, therefore, limited.…”