The future of the practicum : addressing the knowing-doing gap

This paper presents a model that addresses the problem of the knowing-doing gap in the pre-service teacher education practicum. Addressing this gap is important because it is an enduring problem in the teacher education literature and provides benefits to pre-service teachers undertaking the practicum. It also has the potential to facilitate improved pedagogical capabilities of graduates and learning for their in-school mentors. The model is underpinned by research that found tasks requiring pre-service teachers to apply knowledge presented in the university program while they were placed in the school addressed the knowing-doing gap. Two key roles are presented in the model that provide coordination of the “in-school” functions of the practicum and the “across- schools” functions of the teacher education program.