New Scotland to (old) Scotland: Lessons learned from an international student teacher practicum

Abstract

This paper reports on results from a recently completed research study conducted with pre-service teachers from Nova Scotia, Canada who completed their final student teacher practicum in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. With our attention directed towards a primary research question related to pre-service teachers’ own development, data were collected through synchronous online focus group interviews. Results revealed that pre-service teachers experienced both professional and personal growth, while also experiencing some unanticipated conflict and angst. Herein we present and discuss these results, especially as they relate to relevant literature and our own experiences with international student teacher practicums. This paper should be of particular relevance to those who share an interest in teacher education, practicums/field experiences/internships, and/or international education initiatives.