University Teachers´ Perceptions of the Impact of Work-Integrated Learning Placement on Students' On-Campus Learning

This article problematizes the impact of the organization of work-integrated learning (WIL) teacher education on student teachers' learning at university. The perceptions of university teachers on WIL student's potential for learning within university-based components are explored. The theoretical perspective of boundary crossing is used to conceptualize what this organization of WIL teacher education entails. Qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and the analysis revealed that this way of organizing teacher education provides additional benefits for students´ learning at university, but also presents obstacles. When WIL student teachers become central participants in workplaces, it has implications for their campus-based education. These students shift positions, identify themselves as ready teachers, de-identify themselves as students, and demand something else from university studies. This leads to a shift for university teachers who reconceptualize their practices and reevaluate how they can accommodate these student teachers' acute needs without compromising course content.