Complex, compound and critical: recognising and responding to the factors influencing diverse preservice teacher experiences of practicum

The practicum (or professional experience) is an entrenched feature of initial teacher education programs. In recent years, there has been an emphasis on improving the quality of practicum experiences in both academic research (e.g. Grudnoff & Williams, 2010; Lawson, Cakmak, Gunduz & Busher, 2015) and in teacher education policy (e.g. TEMAG, 2014). However, while the practicum is generally considered by participants to be one of the most influential experiences in their preservice teacher education (Busher, Gunduz, Cakmak, & Lawson, 2015) it is also recognised as being one of the most stressful (Gardner, 2010). As a result, there is an increasing tendency in recent work to explore the practicum through the eyes and experiences of participants (Buckworth, 2017; Grant-Smith & Gillett-Swan, 2017). However, despite increasing recognition of the personal factors that can influence experiences of practicum, and the impact that of practicum participation can exert on other life domains and commitments, these ideas are rarely centred in discussions of practicum (Grant-Smith, Gillett-Swan & Chapman, 2016). It could, however, be argued that in the pressurised environment of the practicum, these considerations are especially influential and of growing importance as a result of the increased participation of non-traditional students in teacher education programs...