What characterises a good practicum in teacher education?

Abstract

Practice teaching is regarded as a key component of teacher education and often highly valued by student teachers, even if the aims of field experiences vary from context to context. This article takes a closer look at the practicum in a one-year postgraduate teacher education programme (PGCE) in Norway by listening to the voices of student teachers, school-based mentors and university-based supervisors. The study aims to obtain a deeper understanding of how the practicum is understood and whether the various stakeholders in the same context share a common view of the practicum.