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was unique in structure and organisation and responded to specific contextual needs
of accreditation processes and/or local workforce requirements. The success of each
immersion model was a result of ongoing collaboration and joint ownership between
the schools and universities involved. As such, the authors report that these factors
strengthened established partnerships as they actively valued, encouraged and sup-
ported close working relationships between preservice teachers and mentor teach-
ers, and between school-based and university-based teacher educators. Taking a
different theoretical perspective, the authors of Chap. 5 present their examination of
partnerships and experiences of professional practice using cultural-historical activ-
ity theory. The authors identified boundary objects and brokers that brought the
different activity systems together to create a space in which partnerships could
become more collaborative and achieve strong learning for their preservice
teachers.
Innovative examples of how ‘the third space’ or ‘hybrid spaces’ have been used
to forge stronger partnerships between universities and schools are theorised in
Chap. 3. Flexible and contextually grounded knowledge within school-university
partnerships have enabled the creation of new spaces for learning. By interrogating
the ways that third space is variously conceptualised in respect to partnerships and
professional experience, the creation of new ways of doing and thinking has emerged
that draw upon multiple sources of knowledge, collaboration and shared responsi-
bilities. Similarly, Chap. 4 discusses how cogenerativity as a theoretical construct
can be utilised to endorse the importance of collaboration and shared work for creat-
ing new understandings between interested parties. The authors of Chap. 4 have
provided three examples of how cogenerativity develops and strengthens partner-
ships between schools and universities. Collectively these examples demonstrate
how cogenerativity provides opportunities to transform learning for all
participants.
Nontraditional Experiences in Professional Placements
as Points of Significant Learning
Several chapters in this volume shine a spotlight on the structure and composition
of professional experience through immersion programs, paired placements and
service learning placements. Each innovation identifies that time, commitment,
trust and strong partnerships are required to ensure success. These examples of
innovative, nontraditional professional experiences are promising accounts that sig-
nal ways that professional experience can present preservice teachers with contex-
tually unique opportunities to develop their professional knowledge. Nontraditional
placements are not easy to implement as the authors of Chap. 13 report. Across the
world, paired placements are growing in popularity and are often established to
achieve specific goals. However, along with those positive aspects that facilitate
successful outcomes for the preservice teachers, there are barriers and complexities.
A. Ambrosetti et al.