Reforms in Australia about the education of future teachers have placed a high degree of emphasis on the development of knowledge and skills that are necessary for practitioners who will ply their trade in culturally rich and diverse classrooms (Ramsey, 2000). There is now a broad consensus from key stakeholders (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2012) that pre-service teachers need to be provided with a range of opportunities that are grounded in classroom practices including exposure to teaching students overseas. The aim of this mixed mode study (Creswell, 2012) is to better understand the skills and knowledge that pre-service teachers need in order to function in and gain from their overseas professional experiences (OSPEX). In this study, we undertook semi-structured interviews, and then using the emerging themes compared a cohort of pre-service teachers' perceptions of OSPEX before and after their completed their professional experiences in Fiji via the use of a questionnaire. Results indicate that pre-service teachers need to be better prepared locally before attempting an OSPEX visit.

This paper details a project that sought to understand the benefits of Australian pre-service teachers undertaking an overseas teaching professional experience in Fiji. Using the language of the pre-service teachers who took part in this program led to the dataset being re-viewed through the lens of 'sensemaking theory'. This reviewing and methodological sieving of the data through this theoretical portal revealed a set of principles that gave greater insight into how these forms of teaching experiences enhanced personal and professional reflection that is far different from the typical domestic teaching professional experiences routinely offered. It also revealed the nature and power of personal reflection when conjoined with social interaction.

This article explores ways in which children's picture books form networks of relationships, and their implications for readers and classroom teachers. In this exploration, reading is seen to involve making connections within and beyond the text at hand. These connections, evoked differently across readers, shape readers' interpretations of text. Many possible meanings may arise from just one text, reinforcing the idea that no single correct meaning resides in a text. This article demonstrates tools for exploring textual connections with readers, and the value of such explorations for opening-up reader interpretations of a text.

English This article discusses the findings of a project that sought to understand the professional, and perhaps the personal, benefits gained from participating in an overseas teaching practicum. Using in-situ classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and informal discussions, it became apparent that the participating students believed they had become empowered because they were forced to take up sets of nested ideals based around personal and professional responsibility. Students thus became much more empowered and confident in both their personal and professional lives. French Cet article analyse les conclusions d'un projet de recherche visant à comprendre les avantages professionnels, et peut-être même personnels, procurés par la participation à un stage d'enseignement à l'étranger. D'après les observations faites dans les salles de classe, différentes entrevues semi-structurées et discussions informelles, il apparaît que les élèves participants ont le sentiment que le fait d'être contraints d'adopter des ensembles d'idéaux entremêlés et fondés sur les notions de responsabilité personnelle et professionnelle a renforcé leurs habilités. Après une telle expérience, les élèves se sentent donc beaucoup plus épanouis, compétents et sãrs d'eux dans leur vie personnelle ainsi que dans leur vie professionnelle. Spanish En este artículo se exponen los resultados de un proyecto que pretendía analizar las ventajas profesionales, y quizás personales, de realizar prácticas como profesor en el extranjero. Tras realizar observaciones en aulas, entrevistas semiestructuradas y debates informales, se comprobó que los alumnos participantes consideraron la experiencia muy provechosa, ya que se vieron obligados a asumir una serie de ideales basados en la responsabilidad personal y profesional. De este modo, los alumnos se sentían más facultados y seguros tanto en su vida personal como profesional.

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