An embedded professional paired placement model: “I know I am not an expert, but I am at a point now where I could step into the classroom and be responsible for the learning”

Teacher Education

“…Zeichner ( 2010 ) is critical of the way universities approach the practicum, arguing that they typically have very little involvement in its details, leaving these to be worked out between PSTs and their teacher mentors. (p. 276) In response, initial teacher education providers have attempted to improve professional experience through various innovations involving partnerships with schools, including versions of a teaching schools, site-based curriculum (Lang, Neal, Karvouni, & Chandler, 2015 ) and teacher residencies between universities, schools and school districts (Klein, Taylor, Onore, Strom, & Abrams, 2013 ). Another problem with the practicum he suggests is that schools and teacher mentors know very little about the university coursework, and university educators have little knowledge of what happens in schools.…”

“…Previous approaches to buddied practicum experiences suggest that the benefi ts include overcoming the sense of isolation that many fi rst time PSTs report (Lang et al, 2015 ) by providing a source of personal and professional support in a situation where PSTs often feel vulnerable and intimidated (Lang et al, 2015 ;Le Cornu, 2009 ). Being paired fosters opportunities for critical refl ection on practice (Manouchehri, 2002 ) in the belief that refl ecting with a peer is not as intimidating as refl ecting with a mentor teacher (Smith, 2004 ;Walsh & Elmslie, 2005 ).…”

“…It is an approach that has been used both internationally and in Australia (for example see Gardiner & Robinson, 2009 ;Lang, Neal, Karvouni, & Chandler, 2015 ) and has been found to have many positive outcomes. The ACU trial was developed during a time of change at the university: enrolments were increasing making fi nding placements more complex; various alternative placement and partnership options were trialled; and changes in course design included the merging of placements with specifi c academic coursework units (known as embedded placement units).…”

Implementation of Paired Placement and Co-Planning/Co-Teaching Field Experience Models Across Multiple Contexts

“…More recently, academic institutions in Australia have also began to implement field experience models that use paired placements. Australia's La Trobe University (LTU) Teaching School Model was developed from successful medical school models that have embedded clinical placements and Professional Development Schools in the United States (Lang et al, 2015). Additionally, principals from participating schools were heavily involved with the development of the model which resulted in a strong partnership between the university and the schools (Lang et al, 2015).…”

“…Historically, criticisms of teacher education have included the qualifications of teacher educators, the qualifications of teacher candidates, the structure of the institutions providing teacher education, the inconsistency of the curriculum in teacher education programs, and the gap between theory and practice (Darling-Hammond, 2010;Lanier & Little, 1986;Levine, 2006). However, since the early 2000s, there has been a global increase in research of reformed practices in teacher education programs and teacher candidate development (King, 2006;Capraro, Capraro, & Helfeldt, 2010;Tschida, Smith, Forgarty, 2015;Lang, Neal, Karvouni, Chandler, 2015). At the center of this reform has been an effort to connect theory to practice through well-designed field experiences (Darling-Hammond, 2010).…”