This study describes research conducted with Master of Social Work (MSW) students and alumni who completed all or part of their graduate practicum during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It arises from observations by the first three authors, who are all faculty in a post-secondary social work program in northern British Columbia. These…

This article chronicles a provincial collaboration between ten Bachelor of Education degree-granting universities in Alberta, Canada. This collaboration focused on the newly implemented Teaching Quality Standard (2018) in Alberta and its impact on preservice teacher practicums. Data were collected through curriculum mapping and interviews at each…

In the Spring of 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic impacted all aspects of life throughout the world, including education. Teachers who had never taught online before, all of a sudden had one week to get ready to engage with their students in a virtual setting. On top of these changes, our small post-degree Canadian teacher education program had…

Simulation with simulated patients is increasingly used in occupational therapy. Ensuring the debrief component meets student needs to develop their self-assessment skills for participating in a self-regulating profession is essential. This explanatory mixed-methods research sought to explore factors contributing to accurate and inaccurate…

Teacher preparation for generalist (non-specialist) elementary teachers in Ontario typically comprises one compulsory music class. In entry surveys, many generalists describe themselves as highly apprehensive about and unconfident in their ability to teach music, confirming previous research. Using narrative inquiry, we explore the stories of both…

The practicum experience is a crucial moment of learning for a pre-service teacher (PST). At the heart of the experience is the relationship PSTs have with their cooperating teachers (CTs). To examine how this relationship was negotiated during the practicum, this article applied Cortazzi's analysis of narrative approach to stories told by 13…

Directors of Student Teaching from teacher preparation programs across Canada were surveyed and then interviewed in follow-up focus groups to determine the opportunities and barriers they perceived during processes of placing pre-service teachers with disabilities into practicum settings. These data are interrogated within three theoretical…

This study examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a reflective coach in graduate ESL practicums, using Activity Theory to assess its impact on student-teachers' (STs) reflective practices. An exploratory case study of 26 graduate ESL STs was conducted, with data from AI interactions and post-reflection questionnaires analysed…

During their kindergarten placements, teacher candidates are learning to teach with young children who may be experiencing linguistic and racial hierarchies in a formal institutional setting for the first time. The purpose of this research is to understand how teacher candidates make sense of the socially constructed boundaries of language and…

Becoming a teacher involves more than the acquisition of a new set of skills and knowledge. It involves a change in one's identity, and this change is often precipitated by tensions experienced during a teaching practicum (Mezirow, 2000). This multiple case study explores the points of tension experienced by 18 student teachers during practicum in…

This teaching initiative responded to an effort to strengthen the connection between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) theory and practice among Master of Social Work (MSW) students. This initiative was developed in response to feedback from our MSW students, who requested further training in CBT skills before entering practicum settings.…

The history of Canadian preservice teacher practicums demonstrates that great effort has been put forth to bridge the perceived divide between university teaching programs and classroom practice. Although innovative theory and practice is often researched at the university, this can fail to transfer for a number of reasons resulting in a…

Today, many countries ensure that student teachers get into the real classrooms, practice in there, spend more time and translate theoretical knowledge into practice in schools during Initial Teacher Education. So that they can receive stronger support in the practicum process, and they can develop themselves. However, schools have been closed in…

Institutions strive to offer programs that address both the needs of the educational system and incorporate current pedagogical research. Creating a program that is relevant, inspiring, and accessible to aspiring French as a Second Language (FSL) teachers, while also equipping them with the skills and knowledge deemed necessary by the education…

Foundation-year MSW students in Canada often have their first practicum in community-based agencies. Orientation can be challenging, as many students aim for hospital placements. Site visits are widely used for practicum orientation in Canada; however, drawbacks include intensive resources and difficulty standardizing the experience. As a site…