77Professional Experience Initiative
The changes to professional experience were implemented across the major teach-
ing degrees in this faculty from 2008 to 2014. It was first implemented in the Master
of Teaching (primary) program in 2008 followed by the Bachelor of Education (pri-
mary) program in 2009. The Master of Teaching (secondary) adopted the approach
in 2013, and the Combined Degree (secondary) commenced in 2014. The innova-
tion began with eight partnership schools in 2008, which increased to 56 schools by
- Each school was assigned a mentor from the university who developed and
maintained a productive relationship with the school and acted as the communica-
tion conduit with the faculty. The university mentor conducted weekly group meet-
ings with those preservice teachers placed in the school and liaised closely with
their supervising teachers and the school professional experience coordinator. The
group meeting with the university mentor discussed the focussed observations that
preservice teachers had made of classroom teaching and learning and discussed
issues around their learning using the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
(APST) at the graduate level as a guide for reflection and critical inquiries. At some
schools, the university mentor scheduled separate group meetings with both the
supervising teachers and preservice teachers. At some schools, the supervising
teachers did not want to make this extra commitment, and at others the school sup-
ported the initiative by allocating extra time for cooperating teachers to participate
in the project.
Preservice teachers were allocated to schools in groups of six or eight. Preservice
teachers worked with a partner in pairs either on the same class, grade or faculty and
conducted peer observations as part of the requirements of the professional experi-
ence. Preservice teachers were supported to make focussed observations of their
supervising teachers and peers using a scaffold that focussed on descriptors from
the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the graduate level.
Research Methodology
Using activity theory framework, this case study set out to examine what factors
supported preservice teachers to mediate the two activity systems in order to
enhance their learning whilst on professional experience. A case study research
design was employed to explore the learning experiences of 20 volunteer preservice
teachers in their first professional experience in their Master of Teaching program.
Data were collected from ongoing and retrospective interviews with preservice
teachers, supervising teachers and university mentors during and after their first
4-week professional experience in their graduate teaching program. The researchers
also had access to a database generated from an overarching postdoctoral project
that included lesson observation notes, professional experience reports, transcripts
of supervising teacher mentoring conversations and university mentor meetings.
5 Boundary Objects and Brokers in Professional Experience