Preparing First-Year Student Teachers for their First School Placement: What Factors do Teacher Educators Need to Consider?

Aims: Student teachers embark on their first school placement with various preconceptions regarding their role as a teacher and their ability to manage a range of challenges in the school environment. The purpose of this research was to investigate how students’ perceptions regarding their career choice and their concerns changed over the period of the placement.

Study Design: Qualitative research.

Place and Duration of Study: The research took place at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Methodology: The sample included 46 women and 15 men all of whom were first year students enrolled in primary teacher education. All participants completed pre and post school placement questionnaires. All participants were questioned regarding their decision to become a teacher and concerns around their first school placement.

Results: Data analysis of the pre and post school placement questionnaires found a number of factors mediated the nature and efficacy of the placement for this sample of students: concerns about the placement, student gender, certainty of career choice, and the associate teacher.

Conclusion: The findings of this study give credence to the role that school placements play in cementing students’ decisions to become teachers. It could be useful investigating opportunities for students to spend some extended periods of time in various classrooms throughout the year to alleviate pre placement concerns.