Harnessing the value of authentic work integrated learning experiences in teacher education

In this chapter I write from a stance that acknowledges the complex, dynamic, and contested nature of teaching practices and the schools where those practices are enacted and developed or learned. This chapter places teacher education in schools in a wider context of professional practice and the literature of situated and workplace learning to illuminate a broader perspective and deeper understanding than might be gained by considering teacher-education practicums-also called work-integrated learning (WIL)-in isolation. This is underpinned by the premise that enhancing the quality of teacher-education WIL is best built upon a deep and rich understanding of what teaching practice is like, the context where it is enacted, and the nature of what needs to be learned to become a teaching professional. Workplaces (including school classrooms) shape student (including teacher-education student) learning to such an extent and in such different ways from academic environments that development of specific WIL pedagogies is warranted. These specific pedago-gies, underpinned by WIL theories, would move the focus away from instruction to privilege learning through student engagement with, and participation in, authentic workplace activities and relationships. These pedagogies would also acknowledge the significant influence of contextual factors on student learning, in particular the manner in which learning is shaped by the complex and interdependent interac-tions between students and workplaces. Fine-grained examination of schools as both workplaces and learning contexts for teacher-education students through WIL lenses open up pedagogical possibilities that can harness the richness of authentic contex-tual workplace influences to enhance student learning. This, combined with delib-erate quality assurance of WIL experiences, will shape the construction of WIL experiences that best develop teacher-education students’ authentic and appropriate capabilities for current and future education needs.