This study targets the connection between preservice teachers' pedagogical reasoning quality and early indicators of reality shock during their field internships. Teachers' pedagogical reasoning (PR&A) refers to their ability to make informed decisions about instructional strategies, content selection, and classroom management based on their knowledge, beliefs, and understanding of educational theory. It plays a crucial role in shaping their teaching practices and can greatly impact instruction effectiveness. We investigate this process when it first emerges in future teachers: at the time of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs. Reality shock refers to the disorientation and stress experienced by newly qualified teachers when they face the stark contrast between their teaching expectations and the actual challenges they encounter in the classroom. We argue that early indicators of reality shock are already visible in the late stages of ITE when preservice teachers perform field internships. Field-based internships within ITE aim to bridge the theory-practice gap and potentially mitigate reality shock while fostering high-quality pedagogical reasoning in future teachers. Nevertheless, a gap remains in understanding the relationship between preservice teachers' PR&A quality and their experiences of reality shock precursors during internships. The research aims to elucidate these connections. The overarching goal is to provide insights into how preservice teachers' PR&A quality correlates with their experiences of tension during internships. This will serve as a potential indicator of teaching quality and susceptibility to reality shock as they transition into the profession. By identifying and addressing this relationship, ITE institutes can refine their programs to better prepare future teachers. This will improve retention rates and teaching quality as teachers navigate demanding early career years. Utilizing a qualitative methodology with convenience sampling (N=38), the study delves into preservice teachers' interpretations and descriptions of recent teaching experiences during their internships. The research uses a PR&A normative framework to appraise preservice teachers' reasoning quality through the dimensions of core concepts of the professions and pedagogical orientations. Four distinct pedagogical reasoning quality profiles were identified: Naïve, Emerging, Evolving, and Substantiated. Each of these PR&A quality profiles displays different signs of reality shock precursors, as well as different coping strategies. The study underscores the need to customize ITE programs, addressing specifically the link between pedagogical reasoning development and reality-shock precursors. Developing awareness of reality-shock precursors and reasoning skills among preservice teachers could help them navigate the challenges of the early-career "survival stage".

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