International students’ experience of practicum in teacher education - An exploration through internationalisation and professional socialisation - 2015

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

This paper explores the practicum experience of international students studying in a teacher education course. While prior research examines international students’ degree experiences, comparatively little addresses practicum as a core component of teacher education. Data were gathered through interviews with fourteen international students, and themes covering learning and teaching contexts and relationships, curriculum/pedagogy/assessment, and personal attributes were analyzed using internationalisation and professional socialisation frameworks. Results indicate some generalisable understandings, while each student’s individual attributes shape the overall experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Research focus and context

Method and data analysis

Interview-based evidence and thematic analysis

Findings and implications

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 40 | Issue 8 | Article 9 | | --- | --- | 2015 International students’experience of practicum in teacher education: An exploration through internationalisation and professional socialisation Georgina M. Barton Griffith University, g.barton@griffith.edu.au KayA. Hartwig Griffith University, k.hartwig@griffith.edu.au Melissa Cain Griffith University, m.cain@griffith.edu.au Recommended Citation Barton, G. M., Hartwig, K. A., & Cain, M. (2015). International students’ experience of practicum in teacher education: An exploration through internationalisation and professional socialisation. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (8). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n8.9](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n8.9) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss8/9](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol40/iss8/9) Australian Journal of Teacher Education International students’ experience of practicum in teacher education1 : An exploration through internationalisation and professional socialisation Georgina M Barton Kay A. Hartwig Melissa Cain Griffith University Abstract: This paper explores the practicum experience of international students studying in a teacher education course. Much research has investigated the experience of international students during their degree experience but there is limited research that has addressed the practicum; a key component of teacher education. The research that does exist tends to view international students as analogous rather than individual students with distinct needs and experiences. The current paper will draw evidence from fourteen (14) international students gathered via interviews. The themes of learning and teaching contexts and relationships; curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; and personal attributes were identified and the conceptual frameworks of internationalisation and professional socialisation were applied in the data analysis. Findings revealed there are some generalisations can be applied to the understanding of international students’ experience during practicum however, each student had individual attributes that impacted on the overall experience. There is potential for this research to inform the development of carefully structured and culturally sensitive work placement programs for international students studying education worldwide. Keywords: International student, teacher education, practicum, internationalisation, professional socialisation. Introduction Every year, many students from other countries choose to study in Australia. The Australian government’s Department of Education, Employment and Work Relations (DEEWR) reported that in 2012 over 200,000 international students were enrolled in study. At the authors’ university the number of international students enrolled across the institution in 2012 was approximately 11,000 with 220 of these students studying in the School of Education. This paper explores the experiences of 14 international students who were undertaking a one year post-graduate primary teacher education program in 2012 in a university in Queensland, Australia. 1 The authors note that practicum may also be referred to as ‘prac experience’, ‘field experience’, ‘work placement’ or ‘work integrated learning’ (WIL) in the literature. Similarly, ‘pre-service teacher’ is often referred to as ‘student teacher’, and‘mentor teacher’ as ‘supervising teacher’. As such, ‘practicum’, ‘pre-service teacher’ or ‘international student’, and ‘mentor teacher’ will be used consistently throughout this paper. We also acknowledge that the term ‘program’ refers to the degree program being undertaken and ‘course’ refers to a single unit of study – usually one semester in length. Vol 40, 8, August 2015 149 Australian Journal of Teacher Education Much research on international students’ exper

FAQs

What does the paper investigate about international students in teacher education?

It investigates how international students experience practicum within a teacher education course and how their experiences are shaped in learning and teaching contexts, curriculum/pedagogy/assessment, and personal attributes.

How was the research evidence collected and analyzed?

The study draws evidence from fourteen international students gathered via interviews. Themes were identified and analyzed using the conceptual frameworks of internationalisation and professional socialisation.

What do the findings suggest for understanding and future program development?

The findings support some generalisations about international students’ practicum experiences, but also show that individual attributes significantly affect each student’s overall experience. The research suggests potential to inform culturally sensitive, carefully structured work placement programs worldwide.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine