Exploring practicum: student teachers’ social capital relations in schools with high numbers of pupils living in poverty

Abstract

The complexity of practicum in Initial Teacher Education, in terms of the range of diverse social relations and differing school contexts, provides a challenge for teacher educators worldwide, aiming to guide and shape opportunities for student teachers learning to teach. This challenge is further compounded by societal problems linked to child poverty. Drawing from social capital theory, this paper explores the kinds of social relations that are currently associated with student teachers' practicum experience in schools located in areas of social and economic deprivation or with significant proportions of pupils living in poverty. The paper surfaces types of social relations that are beneficial to mitigating the effects of poverty on educational outcomes. The case is made that practicum does not currently support the principles of social capital theory by enabling student teachers to develop an understanding of how to make connections, and develop the social relationships required to support positive educational outcomes for the children and young people in such contexts. Findings indicate that more effective 'joint practice' is required to better support student teachers' professional learning.

How Socioeconomic Status Effects Instruction in Middle School Classrooms

“…The results of the study also revealed a crucial need for better preparation in supporting the professional learning of student teachers (Graham et al, 2019).…”

“…Nine semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with the mathematics teacher participants. Interviews are a tool used by researchers to better understand the facts of and gain knowledge about the phenomenon being studied (Graham et al, 2019). According to Creswell (2012), semi-structured interviews are useful in small-scale educational research, such as this research study, due to the flexibility of the method.…”

“…The goals of this course were to educate teachers on the obstacles faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to ensure student teachers developed an understanding of factors behind the lower achievement levels of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and how teachers can increase or minimize this obstacle, and to ensure student teachers understood the facets of poverty and what power education actually has to impact it (Hanneke, 2016). A study done by Graham, Robson, and Mtika (2019) examined how the social relationships of the five student teacher participants with their students and the connections they made helped lessen the effects of poverty on the students" academic outcomes. The study was done throughout the practicum experience of the student teachers, and through the interviews done with the participants, it was noted that the student teachers were not prepared in the context of the schools at which they were placed.…”

Poverty and education in Scotland:

“…This includes some of the themes mentioned in the introduction, gender, disability, child carers and new arrival children, and the issues of the social and cultural capital that underpin initiatives such as the mentoring programme and the Caledonian Club. There are innovative new research findings that are emerging from the University of Aberdeen about the challenges for student teachers in engaging with children from backgrounds of poverty and deprivation (Graham et. al.…”