What and how student teachers learn during their practicum as a foundation for further professional development

Abstract

This study investigates how work placement contributes to the integration of practical skills and theoretical knowledge in teacher education. The lack of connection has commonly been criticised in teacher education as well as in other professional studies. The aim of the study is to gain a deeper understanding of how practicum interacts with the university coursework to enhance professional competencies among student teachers. The context is three different Norwegian teacher education programmes that prepare for secondary school. In focus groups the students describe the placement context and the differences between learning on campus and in the practice field. Furthermore, they explain the outcome of field experiences. The findings show that the learning in practicum should not be taken for granted. The students experience great differences between workplaces related to attitudes, support, facilities, mentoring and possibilities to learn from experiences. Practicum should be recognised as an important part of student teachers' education. It should not be left to chance, but have a binding framework related to the quality of mentoring and the working conditions student teachers are offered.

EFL Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of the Effects of Teaching Practicum Experiences on their Professional Identity Development

“…Furthermore, pressures, conflictions and difficult conditions related to teaching community, school disciplines and facilities at high school environment challenged EFL pre-service teachers' professional identity development. This finding is consistent with other studies in the literature (Pillen et al, 2013;Ulvik, Helleve and Smith, 2018). The authors claim that students moving into the role of teachers would face many pressures and difficulties in teaching.…”

Online teaching placement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile: challenges and opportunities

“…However, some researchers (e.g. Ulvik, Helleve, and Smith 2018) argue that all the knowledge and skills a teacher needs cannot be learnt during the ITE programme, due to the fact that these university programmes cannot replicate an environment that is equivalent to the school reality.…”

“…Thus, the student teachers' final teaching placement is a determinant component of most initial teacher education programmes providing student teachers equal opportunities to develop their pedagogic skills (Pedraja-Rejas et al 2012). This process, which complements the university-based components (Worthy 2005;Ulvik, Helleve, and Smith 2018), enables student teachers to bring together theories and ideas about teaching into practice and develop their teaching skills in an actual K-12 classroom. This scenario also offers them the opportunity to handle distinctive situations (Farrel 2008) that will potentially contribute to their teaching competence serving as a 'protected field for experimentation' (Hascher, Cocard, and Moser 2004, 624), where their teaching competence can be scrutinised in a supportive environment with the help and collaboration of the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor.…”

Nye læreres erfaringer med skolen som organisasjon

“…Laererutdanningen kan både gi kunnskap om skolen i et samfunnsperspektiv og praksiserfaringer fra ulike skolekulturer. Imidlertid varierer det hvilken tilgang studenter får til kunnskap i praksisperiodene og dermed varierer også hvor forberedt de er for yrkets organisatoriske sider (Hegestrøm, 2018;Ulvik, Helleve, & Smith, 2018).…”