The present study investigated how student teachers and mentor teachers in a one-school-year teacher practicum in Germany interacted in an 'egalitarian' way despite their experience-based gap in expertise, status and power. Our study is embedded in a participatory research context to involve the agents of change. The sample consisted of 57 student…

High quality field or practicum experiences are important for preparing preservice teachers for the profession. Studies suggest preservice teachers rate their practicum experiences more favourably when their cooperating teachers mentor them using apprenticeship-type practices. There is scant research on how such an approach is used in early…

This article examines the phenomenon of failure in a Bachelor of Education practicum from the perspectives of preservice teachers. Utilizing a phenomenological theoretical framework and methodology, the perspectives of four preservice teachers are shared. The data were drawn from practicum reports, field notes, interviews, and student teacher…

We explore the ways in which preservice teachers (PSTs) develop a practice "in" practice (Darling-Hammond, 2010) with diverse learners when placed in classrooms with college writing mentor teachers. Analyzing survey data and instances of stated confidence in PSTs' activity logs, we share results that reveal a significant increase in the…

This article reports on how a program based on educative supervision supported the supervisory knowledge and practices of three cooperating teachers. The program was planned as a kind of practicum: the cooperating teachers participated in the program while working with a student teacher. The program included activities where the cooperating…

The purpose of this study was to explore the complex cognitive and affective challenges of teacher candidates in their development toward self-efficacy in their teaching. Twenty-two teacher candidates recorded their challenges and thinking process during the last six weeks of their practicum. Following their placement, they completed a summative…

A critical incident is an unexpected event that occurs in the classroom. Teachers can uncover a new understanding of the teaching and learning process through reflecting on these critical incidents. This study explored the writing and discussion of critical incidents among six student teachers with their cooperating teachers in a practicum under…

Curriculum consonance between social studies teacher education programs and field placements poses a perennial problem to social studies teacher educators and their students. This study explores the types of cooperating teacher placements experienced by preservice social studies teachers during their pre-student teaching field experiences…

Practicum experiences, a crucial component of preservice teacher preparation, help establish the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for beginning special education teachers (SETs). Preservice SETs need cooperating teachers (CTs) who support preservice SETs in proper emotional development (i.e., feeling like a teacher), who can model and…

Teaching practicum requires a philosophy to give directions to values and actions. The philosophy proposed here aims for the development of a reflective and reflexive learner who learns through situational analyzing, theorizing, hypothesis testing, inquiring, experimenting, and justifying. Such development has to be built around the searching and…