Beyond Schools: Community-Based Experiences as a Third Space in Teacher Education - Issue 2020 Vol. 29 (1) 1-5 - journal of educational research and practice

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man

Some teacher education programs incorporate community-based experiences for teacher candidates. Drawing on the authors’ experience in developing and implementing a community-based practicum, the study uses a small exploratory case study to examine community-based experiences as a “third space” that can challenge candidates’ deeply held understandings of teaching. The article shares the literature review, highlights key study findings, and considers lingering questions about design and implementation possibilities for disrupting assumptions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Community-based teacher education and field experience

Traditional coursework and practicum structure

Adding community-based field experiences

Course design and requirements

Seminar and community hours

Assessment and assignments

Exploratory case study approach

Research purpose and data sources

Theoretical perspectives: Undoing assumptions

Social construction of knowledge and curriculum

Teacher identity, uncertainty, and development

Beyond Schools: Community-Based Experiences as a Third Space in Teacher Education A journal of educational research and practice 2020 Vol. 29 (1) 1-5 [https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked](https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked) Melanie D. Janzen and Christie Petersen University of Manitoba Abstract Some teacher education programs have incorporated community-based experiences for teacher candidates. Based on the experiences of developing and implementing a community-based practicum in our teacher education programs, the authors conducted a small exploratory case study, aimed at examining and critically considering community-based experiences as a “third space;” an opportunity through which to challenge teacher candidates’ strongly held understandings of teaching. The purposes of this article are to share our literature review, to provide some key insights from the study findings, and to explore our lingering questions regarding the development and implementation of community-based experiences and to consider the possibilities of community-based experiences as a third space in which to disrupt teacher candidates’ assumptions about teaching. Keywords: community-based experiences; third space; field experience; teacher education; practicum Teacher education programs in Canada are typically structured to include both coursework and field experience (Falkenberg, 2010) . Where coursework usually includes topics such as the context and policies of schooling and curriculum theory, field experience (sometimes called a practicum) is an opportunity to practice teaching in a classroom with a host teacher. Within this immersive experience the purpose is for teacher candidates to learn about teaching by practicing the “doing” of teaching (Burant & Kirby, 2002), and is often considered by teacher candidates to be “where the real learning happens”(Smits, 2010, p. 53) . In an attempt to broaden teacher candidates’ experiences, expose students to community organizations, and incorporate more experiential opportunities, some teacher education programs have begun to augment their programs by incorporating community-based field experiences. During a full revision of our Bachelor of Education program, the faculty created a community-based field experience course, to be offered to teacher candidates who have completed their first year of the two-year program. The course was designed as an elective to take place in the spring session (May and June) . Teacher candidates are required to attend a weekly three-hour seminar (over eight weeks), as well as commit twelve hours per week (for six weeks) to a community-based organization, such as art-making centres, youth drop-in centres, or immigrant and refugee centres. Although the instructor visits each community organization during the course, there are no evaluative observations of the teacher candidates conducted by the instructor or the host supervisor. Assignments ofthe course include research of the community-based organization, readings and reflections, as well as a final reciprocity project designed in collaboration with the host supervisor. All assignments are assessed and graded by the instructor and the teacher candidates’ final evaluation is determined as a pass/fail. This exploratory case study is based on the research in developing and implementing the community-based field experience course. As per exploratory research, the purpose is to examine situations in which there are no clear outcomes and therefore, it often takes “intuitive paths”(Yin, p. 29, 2012) . In conducting this research, we drew on data sources that included: a description of the literature regarding community-based practicums; the analysis of two semistructured interviews; and the reflective analysis of my (Author 1) experiences as the instructor, in order to provide some key insights and lingering questions related to developing and implementing a community-based field experience course. We

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the article?

To examine community-based experiences as a “third space” in teacher education, challenging candidates’ understandings of teaching, and to share literature review insights and study findings.

How is the community-based field experience course structured?

Teacher candidates attend weekly three-hour seminars over eight weeks and complete twelve hours per week for six weeks with community organizations, alongside research, readings/reflections, and a final reciprocity project.

What research method and data sources are used?

A small exploratory case study that draws on a description of the literature on community-based practicums, analysis of two semi-structured interviews, and reflective analysis of the instructor’s experiences.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man