International students' experience of practicum in teacher education: An exploration through internationalisation and professional socialisation

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.