ERIC Number: EJ1205990
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2331-186X
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Available Date: N/A
Student Teacher's Boundary Experiences during an International Teaching Internship
Cogent Education, v5 n1 Article 1498577 2018
A boundary is a metaphor for an experience of discontinuity wherein a socio-cultural difference is perceived as a challenge or obstacle in action or interaction. This case study explores eight student teachers' perceptions of boundaries during an international teaching internship to identify where experiences of professional learning originate. We found four types of boundary experiences related to discontinuity: (1) existing pedagogical approaches, (2) personal aspects, (3) a specific school type or culture, and (4) the world outside the classroom. Results suggest that the learning potential of experiencing discontinuity resides in situations wherein student teachers' beliefs are being questioned, thus making the student teacher aware of their implicit beliefs. Student teachers' attempts to reposition themselves while experiencing discontinuity resulted in questioning their existing ways of thinking and acting. Everyday teaching approaches were no longer always taken for granted, thus opening alternate perspectives. In this study, student teacher experiences of discontinuity had various dimensions (cultural, professional, and personal), which also determined their learning potential.
Descriptors: Student Teachers, Internship Programs, International Education, Cultural Differences, Social Differences, Culture Conflict, Student Teacher Attitudes, Student Experience, Beliefs, Faculty Development, Foreign Countries, Study Abroad, International Schools, Females, Single Sex Schools, Secondary Schools, Teaching Methods
Cogent OA. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands; United Kingdom; Norway; South Africa
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