Practicum as a space of transition, reflection, and responsibility in early childhood teacher education

Abstract

A practicum, or teacher placement, constitutes an important field of professional learning in initial teacher education, as it connects theoretical knowledge with educational practice, emotional engagement, collaboration, and professional identity. Although the literature has extensively examined practicum experiences, less attention has been paid to pre-service teachers’ expectations before entering the field and to the differences associated with different levels of practicum within the curriculum. The purpose of this paper was to comparatively investigate how 237 pre-service teachers in a Department of Early Childhood Education in Greece, of whom 98 are enrolled in the third semester and 139 in the seventh semester of their studies, make sense of the forthcoming field experience, what emotions and expectations they express, and what needs for preparation, support, and assessment they identify. A cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative data. Data were collected through an online questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions and were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. The findings identified collaboration and support as a major theme in both groups. Third-semester pre-service teachers focused more on becoming familiar with the kindergarten setting, relationships with children, and the enthusiasm associated with their first field experience. Seventh-semester pre-service teachers placed greater emphasis on planning, classroom management, anxiety, feedback, reflection, and critical institutional awareness of practicum organisation. In addition, assessment preferences shifted from a final assignment towards spiral and reflective processes, indicating increased recognition of formative assessment in more complex practicum courses. The study contributes to the relevant discussion by highlighting the importance of practicum models in initial early childhood teacher education.