The purpose of the study is to seek understanding of how the system of relations connected to the practice periods in Icelandic teacher education supports the students in integrating practical experiences and theoretical understanding and thereby in constructing professional competence that is meaningful for them. The focus will be on the questions: How do the students describe the role of others – e.g. supervisors, university teachers, fellow students – in this learning process? and: How do “the others” describe their role? How are social situations and cultural issues involved in the learning processes? Former research findings illustrate that personal uncertainty and social relations are the essence of the students’ experiences of challenging teacher tasks, and that these challenges are connected to the teacher role in modern Nordic society as well as a wider social and cultural context. The theoretical background draws on definitions of the competence concept and social-cultural psychology. The practical background is the new landscape of teaching practice at the University of Iceland, which emphasizes the partnership between the university and primary and secondary schools, based on shared responsibility for teacher education.