This study uses frame of boundary work to explore university teacher educators' discourses of the early childhood teacher education practicum and to identify the complexities of their positions(s) in these discourses. Data were obtained through focus group interviews with university teacher educators (N = 16) from two Finnish universities and…

Practicum periods are an essential part of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teacher training. To support a student's learning, they need supervision by an expert ECEC teacher to process and analyse information, and supervisory discussions are key forums for that. The aim of this study is to examine the cultural scripts that are…

This case study examines joint reflection in the context of peer group mentoring during the teaching practicum, involving three pre-service teachers and a mentor engaging in discussions supported by the video recorded lessons taught by the pre-service teachers. The approach to joint reflection was non-prescriptive and pre-service…

Researching well-being has gained popularity over the last decades however, research methodologies have employed mostly surveys, and the use of qualitative and visual methods is still scarce. This study discusses using timelines as a tool for researching the well-being of student teachers in two different cultural contexts. Research data includes…

Teaching practice is a critical component in teacher education, and better understanding of how pre-service teachers experience and interpret the feedback received in this setting is needed to understand teacher development in initial teacher education. Arguably, the mindset theory can help explain pre-service teachers' responses to and reception…

Background: During initial teacher education, reflective thinking can have a key role to play in preparing pre-service teachers for professional practice. Therefore, the approaches taken to assist reflection are important to optimise learning from classroom experiences. Purpose: This case study from Finland sought to examine the development of…

In this article, we review teaching practice supervision methods using Microsoft Teams as a digital, dialogic, and reflective tool in the supervision of the pre-service teachers' teaching practicum. We applied qualitative thematic analysis to data from conversations and supervision discussions between 40 pre-service teachers and their supervisor…

Practicums as part of teacher education are important for teacher students' professional development. Co-operative teachers support students' learning during practicums, but in the early childhood education (ECE) context the work community of the ECE center is also seen as an essential part of the practicum environment. This study investigated ECE…

Previous research on early childhood education (ECE) preservice practicums has provided insights into students' practicum experiences. However, little research exists regarding ECE teacher students with prior fieldwork experience and their perceptions of practicums as part of their professional development. Participants of this study were ECE…

This preliminary case study examines qualitatively the experiences of 20 participants enrolled in an international English-medium secondary teacher preparation program at a university in Finland and analyzes reflections on their teacher identity development. Multiple measures of data with triangulation were collected from course work, including…

Despite the steps taken to improve support in universities, many students and graduates with autism face a substantial employment gap when completing university as compared to any other student group with disabilities. The literature shows that often students with autism do not have appropriate support to prepare them for entering the workforce.…

The novel exigencies of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift towards online learning environments and teleconference platforms, which have also affected teaching practicums. The impact of this approach on teacher preparation is yet unknown and may render pre-service teachers (PSTs) more vulnerable to the challenges of early professional…

Finland is constitutionally bilingual and there are several small minority languages. With recent migration from different parts of the world, the linguistic environment has become even more diversified. National curricula take linguistic diversity among the pupils into consideration and stress the importance of supporting pupils' language…

This case study examined three pre-service teachers' reflection processes during their first teaching practicum. During the six-week practicum, the pre-service teachers reflected on their own as well as their peers' teaching in group mentoring meetings several times a week. Unstructured stimulated recall facilitated pre-service teacher-initiated…

This book draws on the responses to learning and teaching and applied education futures thinking, that provide insights into the future of learning. It brings together more than 30 novel and important applied research and scholarly contributions from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mainland…