Learning in the workplace: new forms of learning for preservice teachers

Internationally and within Australia, the workplace learning or professional experience component of teacher education programs has gained renewed focus. While there is no doubt that newcomers to teaching are entering a profoundly changed profession (Smyth, Dow, Hattam, Reid, & Shacklock, 2000) the imperatives to address the workplace-learning component of teacher education are not often articulated. In the USA and Britain for example, there is an increased emphasis on the role of workplace or school based experiences, with a concurrent reduction or elimination in the university based component, while in Australia, recent government reports (Committee for the Review of Teaching and Teacher Education 2003; Department of Education Science and Training 2002) forewarn of significant required changes to the workplace learning with increased emphasis on school based experiences