Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

‘It’s the Worst, but Real Experience Is Invaluable’: Pre-service Teacher Perspectives of the Costs and Benefits of Professional Experience

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teacher Education In and For Uncertain Times

Abstract

Professional experience, or practicum placements, is an important component in the education of pre-service teachers and preparing them for their own classrooms after graduation. However, while the pedagogical and personal development benefits of participation are well documented, the personal costs of participation have been less comprehensively explored. This chapter identifies the perceived costs and benefits of participation in practicum from the perspective of undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service teachers attending an Australia university. The research study reported in this chapter reveals that the practicum experience is, on the whole, associated with positive feelings and the opportunity to gain practical ‘real-world’ experience and professional development. However, the financial hardship that can be created or magnified as a consequence of participation in practicum can negatively impact the practicum experience and the well-being of a pre-service teacher. The chapter concludes by reflecting on approaches that universities and accrediting bodies may consider to manage the financial and other impacts of practicum participation on pre-service teachers without decreasing their educational and experiential value.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    It should be noted that at the time of the survey some students were still participating in their practicum placement and that it was the first practicum placement for some respondents.

  2. 2.

    Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority.

References

  • Abery, E., Drummond, C., & Bevan, N. (2015). Work integrated learning: What do the students want? A qualitative study of health sciences students’ experiences of a non-competency based placement. Student Success, 6(2), 87–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews, A., & Chong, J. L. (2011). Exploring the wellbeing of students studying at an Australian university. Journal of the Australian & New Zealand Student Services Association, 37, 9–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Archuleta, K. L., Dale, A., & Spann, S. M. (2013). College students and financial distress: Exploring debt, financial satisfaction, and financial anxiety. Journal of Financial Counseling & Planning, 24(2), 50–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, C., & Kosnick, C. (2002). Components of a good practicum placement: Student teacher perceptions. Teacher Education Quarterly, 29(2), 91–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Britt, S. L., Mendiola, M. R., Schink, G. H., Tibbetts, R. H., & Jones, S. H. (2016). Financial stress, coping strategy, and academic achievement of college students. Journal of Financial Counseling & Planning, 27(2), 172–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crebert, G., Bates, M., Bell, B., Patrick, C. J., & Cragnolini, V. (2004). Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment: Graduates’ perceptions. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(2), 147–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creedon, D. (2015). The experience of financial hardship on mature students’ social and academic integration. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 5(2), 2471–2481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danyluk, P. (2013). The role of the pre-practicum in lessening student teacher stress: Student teachers’ perceptions of stress during practicum. Action in Teacher Education, 35(5–6), 323–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deasy, C., Coughlan, B., Pironom, J., Jourdan, D., & Mannis-McNamara, P. (2014). Psychological distress and coping amongst higher education students: A mixed method enquiry. PLoS One, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115193.

  • Fosnacht, K., & Calderone, S. M. (2017). Undergraduate financial stress, financial self-efficacy, and major choice: A multi-institutional study. Journal of Financial Therapy, 8(1), 107–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giannakaki, M.-S., Hobson, A. J., & Malderez, A. (2011). Student teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of their initial preparation. European Journal of Education Research, Development & Policy, 46(4), 456–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goetz, J., Cude, B. J., Nielsen, R. B., Chatterjee, S., & Mimura, Y. (2011). College-based personal finance education: Student interest in three delivery methods. Journal of Financial Counseling & Planning, 22(1), 27–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant-Smith, D., & Gillett-Swan, J. (2017). Managing the personal impacts of practicum: Examining the experiences of graduate diploma in education students. In J. Nuttall, A. Kostogriz, M. Jones, & J. Martin (Eds.), Teacher education policy & practice: Evidence of impact, impact of evidence (pp. 97–112). Singapore: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant-Smith, D., Gillett-Swan, J., & Chapman. R. (2017). WiL wellbeing: Exploring the impacts of unpaid practicum on student wellbeing. Perth: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education. https://www.ncsehe.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/GrantSmith_WIL.pdf.

  • Grudnoff, L. (2011). Rethinking the practicum: Limitations and possibilities. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 39(3), 223–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harding, J. (2011). Financial circumstances, financial difficulties and academic achievement among first-year undergraduates. Journal of Further & Higher Education, 35(4), 483–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heckman, S., Lim, H., & Monalto, C. (2014). Factors related to financial stress among college students. Journal of Financial Therapy, 5(1), 19–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jessop, D. C., Herberts, C., & Solomon, L. (2005). The impact of financial circumstances on student health. British Journal of Health Psychology, 10(3), 421–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone, E., Brough, M., Crane, P., Marston, G., & Correa-Velez, I. (2016). Field placement and the impact of financial stress on social work and human service students. Australian Social Work, 69(4), 481–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joo, S., Durband, D. B., & Grable, J. (2008). The academic impact of financial stress on college students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 10(3), 287–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D., Krueger, A. B., Schkade, D. A., Schwarz, N., & Stone, A. A. (2004a). The survey method for characterizing daily life experience: The day reconstruction method. Science, 306(5702), 1176–1780.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahneman, D., Krueger, A. B., Schkade, D. A., Schwarz, N., & Stone, A. A. (2004b) The day reconstruction method (DRM): Instrumentation documentation. https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/780/docs/drm_documentation_july_2004.pdf.

  • Kanno, H., & Koesk, G. F. (2010). MSW students’ satisfaction with their field placement: The role of preparedness and supervision quality. Journal of Social Work Education, 46(1), 23–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krauss, S. E. (2005). Research paradigms and meaning making: A primer. The Qualitative Report, 10(4), 758–770.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, A. B., & Schkade, D. A. (2007). The reliability of subjective well-being measures. Journal of Public Economics, 92(8–9), 1833–1845.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawson, T., Cakmak, M., Gunduz, M., & Busher, H. (2015). Research on teaching practicum: A systematic review. European Journal of Teacher Education, 38(3), 392–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Cornu, R., & Ewing, R. (2008). Reconceptualising professional experiences in pre-service teacher education: Reconstructing the past to embrace the future. Teaching & Teacher Education, 24(7), 1799–1812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, D., & Turale, S. (2001). New conceptions of student neediness and directions for better responses. In Australian Association for Research in Education Conference. December 2–6, 2001, Fremantle.

    Google Scholar 

  • Louden, W. (2015). Standardised assessment of initial teacher education: Environmental scan and case studies. Australian Insitute for Teaching and School Leadership: Melbourne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald, C. J. (1992). The multiplicity of factors creating stress during the teaching practicum: The student-teachers’ perspective. Project Innovation, 113, 48–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K., Ferns, S., & Peach, D. (2012). The ACEN student scholarships: A profile of financial hardship and work integrated learning. In Proceedings of the Australian Collaborative Education Network National Conference (pp. 201–212). Geelong: Deakin University.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2014). Teaching and learning international survey [TALIS] 2013 results: An international perspective in teaching and learning. Paris: OECD Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralph, E., Walker, K., & Wimmer, R. (2009). Practicum and clinical experiences: Postpracticum students’ views. Journal of Nursing Education, 48(8), 434–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S. E., Niebling, B. C., & Heckert, T. M. (1999). Sources of stress among college students. College Student Journal, 33(2), 312–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schofield, D., Keane, S., Fletcher, S., Shrestha, R., & Percival, R. (2009). Loss of income and levels of scholarship support for students on rural clinical placements: A survey of medical, nursing and allied health students. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 17(3), 134–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K., & Lev-Ari, L. (2005). The place of the practicum in pre-service teacher education: The voice of students. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 33(3), 289–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spooner-Lane, R., Tangen, D., & Campbell, M. (2007). When your first year is your final year: Changing perceptions of practicum through NESB pre-service teachers’ eyes. In First Year of Higher Education Conference. July 6, 2007, Brisbane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group [TEMAG]. (2014). Action now: Classroom ready teachers. Report available via http://www.studentsfirst.gov.au/teacher-education-ministerial-advisory-group.

  • Timmins, F., & Kaliszer, M. (2002). Aspects of nurse education programmes that frequently cause stress to nursing students: Fact-finding sample survey. Nurse Education Today, 22(3), 203–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, S. J., Barber, B. L., & Dziurawiec, S. (2015). The role of economizing and financial strain in Australian university students’ psychological well-being. Journal of Family Economic Issues, 36, 421–433.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkens, C. P., Ashton, J. R., Maurer, D. M., & Smith, S. (2015). Some of this is not your fault: Imperfect placements, student teachers, and university supervision. Schools: Studies in Education, 12(2), 329–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wray, N., & McCall, L. (2007). Money matters: Students’ perceptions of the costs associated with placements. Medical Education, 41(10), 975–981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Deanna Grant-Smith, Laura de Zwaan, Renee Chapman & Jenna Gillett-Swan

Authors
  1. Deanna Grant-Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laura de Zwaan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Renee Chapman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jenna Gillett-Swan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Deanna Grant-Smith .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia

    Deborah Heck

  2. Central Queensland University, Noosaville, Queensland, Australia

    Angelina Ambrosetti

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Grant-Smith, D., de Zwaan, L., Chapman, R., Gillett-Swan, J. (2018). ‘It’s the Worst, but Real Experience Is Invaluable’: Pre-service Teacher Perspectives of the Costs and Benefits of Professional Experience. In: Heck, D., Ambrosetti, A. (eds) Teacher Education In and For Uncertain Times. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8648-9_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8648-9_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-8647-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-8648-9

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation