© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 217
J. Kriewaldt et al. (eds.), Educating Future Teachers: Innovative Perspectives
in Professional Experience, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-5484-6_13
Chapter 13
Paired Placements in Intensified School
and University Environments: Advantages
and Barriers
Catherine Lang and Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen
Abstract The intensified school and university environments currently in Australia
require universities and schools to develop new models of professional experience
practice that meet political and economic drivers. In this chapter, we will present
two examples where a paired placement professional experience model was imple-
mented in partnership with local schools. Each of the paired placement models were
informed by sociocultural theories to move beyond the master-apprentice model of
preservice teacher education to a more innovative and collaborative practice that we
consider advantageous to the profession. The authors each led the implementation
of the model in their respective universities and collected empirical data from pre-
service teachers, supervising teachers, principals and university lecturers. We will
also discuss some of the complexities we encountered when implementing the mod-
els. The models presented were different in delivery and format, yet there were
similarities in the barriers encountered when we tried to expand them to encompass
a wider cohort of schools and preservice teachers. We believe it is important to pro-
vide this account of our experiences with paired placement models to broaden the
discussion by acknowledging concerns related to expanding successful localised
models for wider implementation. We work in a complex education environment
and believe that a single model of professional experience, paired placement or
otherwise, will never accommodate the political and economic needs of schools,
preservice teachers and universities.
C. Lang (*)
La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
e-mail: [email protected]
H.T.M. Nguyen
University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia