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Cited by 333Teacher Education and Leadership StudiesTeacher Education and AssessmentsEducation Pedagogy and Practices

Integrating theory and practice in the pre-service teacher education practicum

Open access
Allen, Jeanne Maree, Wright, Suzie Elizabeth·2014·Teachers and Teaching
DOI 10.1080/13540602.2013.848568
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Abstract

This article reports on a study into student teachers’ perceptions about their professional development during practicum. Framed within a symbolic interactionist perspective, the study examined to what extent, and how effectively, one group of student teachers was able to integrate theory and practice during a three-week practicum in the first year of their degree. The context for this mixed methods study was a Master of Teaching, graduate-level entry programme in the Faculty of Education at an urban Australian university. Although there is a strong field of literature around the practicum in pre-service teacher education, there has been a limited focus on how student teachers themselves perceive their development during this learning period. Further, despite widespread and longstanding acknowledgement of the ‘gap’ between theory and practice in teacher education, there is still more to learn about how well the practicum enables an integration of these two dimensions of teacher preparation. In presenting three major findings of the study, this paper goes some way in addressing these shortcomings in the literature. First, participants in this study largely valued both the theoretical and practical components of their programme, which stands in contrast to the commonly identified tendency of the student teacher to privilege practice over theory. Second, opportunities to integrate theory and practice were varied, with many participants reporting the detrimental impact of an apparent lack of clarity around stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities. Third, participants overwhelmingly supported the notion of linking university coursework assessment to the practicum as a means of bridging the gap between, on the one hand, the university and the school and, on the other hand, theory and practice.

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  • Pre-service teachers are frustrated over coursework and attach very little value to it, both intellectually and practically.

    “Allen and Wright (2014) concur that pre-service teachers are frustrated over the coursework and attach very little value to it, both intellectually and practically.”

    From Pedagogical dilemma in teacher education: Bridging the theory practice gap (2023) · cites this paper as Allen and Wright 2014

  • A widely discerned problem is that there is often a huge disparity between the types of skills and knowledge taught in pre-service programmes and the realities of workplace practice.

    “However, 'a widely discerned problem lies in the fact that there is often a huge disparity between the types of skills and knowledge taught in pre-service programmes and the realities of workplace practice' (Allen and Wright 2014, 136).”

    From Pedagogical dilemma in teacher education: Bridging the theory practice gap (2023) · cites this paper as Allen and Wright 2014

  • Pre-service teachers in South Africa frequently encounter a theory-practice gap during school-based teaching practice placements.

    “Extensive research over the past few decades highlights the impact of a theory-practice gap (Allen & Wright, 2013;McGarr et al., 2016)”

    From Using LEGO® Six Bricks® as an educational resource to address challenges pre-service teachers face during school-based teaching practice (2025) · cites this paper as Allen & Wright, 2013

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Authors
Allen, J. M., & Wright, S. E.
Affiliations
University of Tasmania (AU)
Corresponding author
Allen, Jeanne Maree
ORCID
Venue
Teachers and Teaching
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2013-10-16
Volume
20
Issue
2
Pages
136-151
ISSN
  • 1354-0602 (ISSN-L)
  • 1470-1278
DOI
10.1080/13540602.2013.848568
OpenAlex
W2065577715
Cited by
333
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 31 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
FWCI
45.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Teachers and Teaching (publishedVersion)
  • eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion)
  • Deakin Research Online (Deakin University) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
  • Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Assessments
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education Pedagogy and Practices
Keywords
initial teacher education, practicum, theory-practice integration, student teachers' perceptions, professional development, symbolic interactionism, university-school partnership, coursework assessment, stakeholder roles and responsibilities

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