Theoretical Overview Of The Practicum Programs For Special Education Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

The teaching practicum programs in schools represent a key element in teacher training in Higher Education Institutions, in terms of connecting curricular content with professional competencies development and real life situations. The current study provides a contemporary overview of the practicum programs in training special education pre-service teachers in Israel, as expressed in theoretical papers and concurrent studies examining practicum experiences. The practicum programs are examined from the perspective of their theoretical rationale, scope and various formats. There are three practicum models in Israel: the traditional model, the Professional Development Schools (PDS) model, characterized by a collaboration between the academic teacher training colleges and the schools where the practicum training is conducted, and the "academy-class" model. The last model focuses on the development of broad-scope partnership processes between schools and colleges, while presenting the student as a co-teacher in the class and emphasizing the practicum's intensity (3 days per week). Additionally, this theoretical paper includes lines of discussion for future comparative analysis of the perceptions and attitudes towards the practicum program by Arab and Jewish pre-service teachers in special education in Israel.