Chapter 48
University Coursework and School
Experience: The Challenge to Amalgamate
Learning
Allie Clemans, John Loughran and Justen O’Connor
48.1 Introduction
The theory-practice gap has long been recognized as a point of contention in teacher
education. Bridging that gap has often been seen as difficult almost regardless of
contextual perspective—i.e., from both the world of academia and that of schools.
Recognizing and responding to the oft’bemoaned theory-practice gap demands a
rethink of the ways in which the dynamics between the university coursework and
professional experience components of teacher education are conceptualized and
made tangible.
Schön’s( 1983 ) work on reflective practice offers one way of beginning to
confront the‘gap’through his focus on the knowledge of practice. Schön’s efforts
lauded the work of those engaged in the world of practice, a world he described as
situated in the‘swampy lowlands’. By focusing on practitioner knowledge and
expertise, he cast new light on how skilled practitioners acquired (and developed)
their knowledge. Importantly, he showed that knowledge of practice took an
equally important but different form from the more highly valued knowledges
which typically existed in the‘ivory towers’of academia.
A. Clemans (&)J. LoughranJ. O’Connor
Monash University, Clayton, Australia
e-mail: [email protected]
J. Loughran
e-mail: [email protected]
J. O’Connor
e-mail: [email protected]
©Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017
M.A. Peters et al. (eds.),A Companion to Research in Teacher Education,
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4075-7_48
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