ABSTRACT

In this article, mentors’ perceptions of paired practicum in initial teacher education in Sweden are studied. Taking the mentors’ perspective, we describe the potentials and the pitfalls of paired practicum. The pros and cons of the model are analyzed from a perspective of learning the vocation of teaching as a two-sided endeavor. Inspired by a modified Aristotelian perspective, we use the terms participant knowledge and spectator knowledge to conceptualize the learning of two different forms of knowledge. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews with five mentors and analyzed using an abductive process. The analysis reveals that paired practicum facilitates a potential for learning mainly a distanced and propositional spectator knowledge while the learning of a contextual and practical participant knowledge seems to be obstructed. For instance, paired practicum seems to prolong the peripheral position of the students and their opportunities to gain participatory knowledge. Results also show that there is a discrepancy between the pedagogical intentions of paired practicum and the concrete possibilities for realizing these in practice. The limitations of the paired practicum model, and how these can be overcome, both at individual and organizational level, are highlighted.

ABSTRACT

In this article, mentors’ perceptions of paired practicum in initial teacher education in Sweden are studied. Taking the mentors’ perspective, we describe the potentials and the pitfalls of paired practicum. The pros and cons of the model are analyzed from a perspective of learning the vocation of teaching as a two-sided endeavor. Inspired by a modified Aristotelian perspective, we use the terms participant knowledge and spectator knowledge to conceptualize the learning of two different forms of knowledge. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews with five mentors and analyzed using an abductive process. The analysis reveals that paired practicum facilitates a potential for learning mainly a distanced and propositional spectator knowledge while the learning of a contextual and practical participant knowledge seems to be obstructed. For instance, paired practicum seems to prolong the peripheral position of the students and their opportunities to gain participatory knowledge. Results also show that there is a discrepancy between the pedagogical intentions of paired practicum and the concrete possibilities for realizing these in practice. The limitations of the paired practicum model, and how these can be overcome, both at individual and organizational level, are highlighted.

抽象的

本文研究了瑞典初级教师教育中导师对结对实习的看法。从导师的角度，我们描述了结对实习的潜力和陷阱。从学习教学的双重使命的角度分析了该模式的优缺点。受修改后的亚里士多德观点的启发，我们使用术语参与者知识和旁观者知识来概念化两种不同形式的知识的学习。通过与五位导师的访谈收集定性数据，并使用溯因过程进行分析。分析表明，配对实习有助于学习主要是远距离和命题的旁观者知识的潜力，而对上下文和实际参与者知识的学习似乎受到阻碍。例如，结对实习似乎延长了学生的边缘地位和他们获得参与性知识的机会。结果还表明，结对实习的教学意图与在实践中实现这些的具体可能性之间存在差异。强调了配对实习模式的局限性，以及如何在个人和组织层面克服这些局限性。