Teacher Candidates' Realistic Experiences of Practicum: A Self-Study of Theory and Practice Integration

• In Event: Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Discovering Tensions in Practice Through Self-Study

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the general ineffectiveness of teacher education programs on the subsequent teaching practice of candidates, the purpose of this paper is to investigate, through self-study, our teacher candidates’ experiences of integrating theory-and-practice within a realistic approach involving partnership schools and an integrated, school-based, professionally-oriented semester. Drawing on data from teacher candidates, mentor teachers, school administrators and our own conversations and notes, we identify three themes that supported and challenged our pedagogical understandings of theory-and-practice integration: course assignments, readings, and support that responded flexibly to candidates’ developing issues of practice. As teacher educators, this study helped us become more attuned to the importance of relationships between schools and universities as we confronted the complexities of theory-and-practice integration.

Authors

• Gladys Sterenberg, Mount Royal University

• Kevin O'Connor, Mount Royal University

• David Dillon, McGill University