Initial teacher education (ITE) faces a plethora of challenges in preparing future teachers to competently engage with the complex, dynamic, and increasingly diverse realities of contemporary classrooms (Shi et al., 2025; Darling-Hammond, 2017). A recurring concern highlighted in the international literature is the theory-practice gap, reflecting tensions between university-based theoretical knowledge and the practical demands of school contexts (Yin, 2019; McGarr et al., 2017; Korthagen, 2007). Addressing this gap requires coherent curriculum design that integrates subject-specific knowledge, general education foundations, and authentic school-based learning opportunities, fostering both pedagogical competence and professional understanding (Darling-Hammond, 2014; Haggar & McIntyre, 2006).

The practicum, widely acknowledged as a cornerstone of the ITE, represents a critical space for professional learning (Zeichner, 2012). Through participation in real classrooms, student teachers have opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge, interact directly with pupils, collaborate with mentor teachers, and navigate the social and organizational complexities of school environments, thereby developing professional identity while confronting the challenges of  teaching (Gil-Madrona et al., 2025; Flores & Day, 2006; Rorrison et al., 2017; Zhu et al., 2020; Farrell, 2008). Effective practicum experiences are supported by structured supervision, mentoring, and reflective practices, which provide timely feedback, guidance, and opportunities for in-depth reflection both in and on action (Pattison-Meek, 2024; Ambrosetti et al., 2017; Graves, 2010; Schön, 1983). Understanding the practicum’s role in professional learning thus requires examining student teachers’ perspectives, as these provide a valuable lens into how curricular units and practicum components shape the development of professional knowledge, skills, and identity, as well as their impact on professional readiness and motivation to pursue a teaching career. Accordingly, this study focuses on three dimensions: (1) the perceived relevance of curricular components; (2) learning processes reported across pedagogical, professional and personal domains; and (3) perceived readiness for practicum experiences and future professional engagement. By foregrounding student teachers’ interpretations, the study aims to provide insights into the effectiveness of curriculum design and practicum structures in fostering meaningful professional development.

By focusing on student teachers’ perceptions, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how ITE programmes can support professional development and preparedness for authentic teaching practice in school contexts. The study highlights the value of integrating experiential, relational, and reflective components into teacher education, emphasizing the centrality of student teachers’ lived experiences as a foundation for developing pedagogical competence, professional identity, and sustained motivation for the teaching profession. Findings from this study have relevance not only for the Portuguese context but also for European and international discussions on teacher education, particularly regarding curriculum design, practicum structures, and strategies to enhance professional learning through authentic school-based experiences.

This study adopted a quantitative descriptive design to investigate student teachers’ perceptions of curricular units and practicum experiences within master’s programmes in teacher education. The research is part of the PhD project “Teacher Education in times of change and the role of the practicum in building professional knowledge: a mixed-methods study”, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. The study was conducted in a Portuguese higher education institution. The sample comprised 162 master’s students in teacher education, including 113 females (69.8%) and 49 (30.2%) males, reflecting the predominance of women commonly observed in the teacher workforce (OECD, 2024). Age distribution was heterogeneous, with the majority between 20 and 25 years (53.1%) and a substantial group over 40 years (24.1%). Participants were enrolled across the first (47.5%) and second year (52.5%) of the programme. Most held a bachelor’s degree as their highest qualification (68.5%), and the majority reported no prior professional experience in school settings (71.6%) or teaching experience (59.9%) before entering the programme. Regarding motivations, 116 students (71.6%) indicated teaching as their first choice, and 93 (57.4%) reported a high degree of confidence in this decision. Students were enrolled in diverse teaching specializations, with the largest groups in History (16.0%), Early Childhood and Primary Education (14.2%), and Mathematics (13.6%), followed by English (11.7%), Informatics (8.6%), and Portuguese (8.6%). Data were collected through an online survey combining Likert-type scales and open-ended questions. Likert items captured student teachers’ perceptions of curricular relevance, practicum components, learning outcomes, perceived readiness, and professional intentions. Open-ended questions gathered complementary data, allowing participants to provide detailed reflections on their experiences. Demographic and academic variables were used to contextualize the findings, and descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to identify patterns, tendencies, and emergent insights in student teachers’ responses. The analysis focused on assessing the perceived relevance of curricular units and practicum components, self-reported learning outcomes, and student teachers’ perceptions of the programme’s contribution to professional readiness and motivation to pursue a teaching career. Ethical standards, including voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity, and prior approval by the institutional Ethics Committee, were rigorously followed. By adopting a student-centred perspective, this methodology prioritizes participants’ subjective interpretations of their curriculum and practicum experiences, rather than relying solely on external performance metrics. This approach enables a grounded understanding of ITE in the Portuguese context.

Student teachers’ perceptions regarding the relevance of diferent curricular units indicate a broadly positive evaluation of the ITE programme. Specific Didactics curricular units were perceived as the most valued, with over 90% of respondents classifying them as “Very Important” or “Important”, highlighting the centrality of subject-specific pedagogy in professional preparation. General Education and Education in the Field of Teaching curricular units were also positively rated, though with slightly lower levels of perceived importance. In contrast, the optional curricular units elicited more heterogeneous responses, suggesting variability in perceived relevance and curricular coherence.Concerning preparedness for the practicum at the end of first year, while a majority of student teachers reported feeling prepared (60.5%), a substantial minority (39.5%) felt unprepared, pointing to potential discontinuities between coursework and early profession demands. Regarding the practicum experiences, student teachers hightlighted experiential and relational dimensions of learning. Direct interaction with pupils, opportunities to teach, and exposure to everyday school practices emerged as the most valued components, followed by school-based supervisory feedback and integration into the school community. More formalized or academically framed activities, such as reflective portfolios, seminars, and the public defense of the practicum report, were less valued, though still positively perceived overall.Reported learning outcomes were consistently strong across pedagogical, professional and personal domains, including teaching competence, classroom and time management, professional identity development, and articulation of theory and practice. Intentions to enter the teaching profession were very high (90.1%), and second-year student teachers evaluated their practicum experience predominantly as positive or very positive. Overall, findings suggest that authentic teaching experiences and relational learning opportunities are central to professional development, while reflective components, though appreciated, are less valued.The coexistence of high professional motivation with variable perceived readiness underscores the need to better align coursework with practicum experiences, supporting both confidence and competence in early teaching practice.

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