A common feature of initial teacher education programmes internationally is the introduction of student teachers to the realities of teaching through the practicum. Policy makers, student teachers and expert teachers often view practicum as being the most important component of teacher preparation (Smith & Lev-Ari, 2005). Conversely, teacher educators position the practicum as being important but problematic, with some contending that simply providing a practice setting for student teachers is not sufficient given the complexities and challenges of teaching in today’s schools (eg. Haigh & Ward, 2004). Indeed, in recent years a number of researchers (eg. Hagger & McIntyre, 2006; Zeichner, 2002) have challenged the traditional view of the individual classroom as the placement site, suggesting that teacher educators should think more broadly about schools as the sites for learning to teach
A focus on the practicum is particularly pertinent at a time when there is world-wide concern with the quality of preparation of new teachers and teachers' professional learning and development, and the increased interest in laboratory schools, professional development schools and school-based teacher education in supporting new teacher learning. The university whose initial teacher education programme provided the context for this study has embarked on joint work with a group of primary school principals, expert teachers and university staff to develop and pilot a new approach to the practicum that involved reconceptualising roles, relationships and sites. For over a year, university teachers and staff from four primary schools worked together to design practica that met university requirements, recognised teacher expertise and enabled each school to develop a model that aligned with their school’s culture. The aim was to enhance learning opportunities for student teachers to help them become more effectively prepared for the complexities and demands of full-time teaching, and to develop more robust school-university practicum relationships.
This study, which focuses on the perceptions of the principals, teacher mentors, student teachers and university staff working in the four practicum pilot schools, is located within a larger research and development project: the Reconceptualising the Practicum Project (Grudnoff & Williams, 2010).
