Adapting to the ILE Practicum: New Grammar for Changing Times in Initial Teacher Education

The global emergence of Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) has disrupted the conventional grammar of schooling prompting more collaborative and flexible teaching and learning arrangements. While the emergence of a new grammar and its complexity for experienced teachers is acknowledged, the ramifications for initial teacher education (ITE) are under-researched. With practicum at the heart of ITE it is vital that teacher educators become conversant with the grammar of an ILE practicum so they can support student teachers to thrive in these environments. Utilising Gislason’s (Gislason, Learning Environments Research 13:127–145, 2010; Gislason, Alternator and Deed (eds), School space and its occupation: Conceptualising and evaluating innovative learning environments, Brill Sense, The Netherlands, 2018; Gislason, Learning Environments Research 13:127–145, 2010) school environment model and an instrumental case study design we identified key influences for three key participant groups within the ecology of practicum—student teachers, associate teachers and teacher educators. Our findings suggest the conventional grammar of practicum is incongruous with a collaborative grammar that underpins an ILE practicum. Such a grammar amplifies the importance of relational, leadership, and collaborative skills for student teachers as well as highlighting a necessity to re-imagine practicum traditions such as full management.