Professional experience in Australian teacher education programs: an overview

This chapter provides an overview of teacher education in Australia and the implications and outcomes of some of the many reports into teacher education. Special emphasis will be placed on professional experience/clinical experience with a view to how key issues such as how to bridge the theory/practice divide including how to build university/school partnerships and the roles of those involved; how to assess pre-service and in-service classroom practice and describe a progression of appropriate skills of clinical/professional experience; the value of different types and quality of clinical/ professional experience; and how best to induct teachers through the various stages of their role. Responsibility and funding of teacher education, and professional experience in particular, is also of major importance in Australia which has a Federal system of government with States responsible for school education and the Commonwealth largely responsible for the tertiary sector