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The Professional-Experience In-School Coordinator’s Role: Perspectives of Supervising Teachers and In-School Coordinators
Book chapter

The Professional-Experience In-School Coordinator’s Role: Perspectives of Supervising Teachers and In-School Coordinators

Sarah James, Amanda Isaac, Suzanne Hudson, Cathy Lembke, Rodney Bullivant and Donna Ryan
Work-Integrated Learning Case Studies in Teacher Education, pp.119-131
Springer Nature Singapore
02/01/2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6532-6_10

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Abstract

Initial teacher education Mentor teacher Professional experience Teacher education and professional development of educators Learner and learning not elsewhere classified
Professional experience is central to initial teacher education. The role of the in-school coordinator as part of professional experience (PEx) is somewhat unexplored terrain. Research literature highlights the importance of in-school coordinators in initial teacher education. The in-school coordinator can act as a conduit between the school and university, communicating information regarding the PEx requirements and overseeing the administrative processes. While the role of the supervising teacher is well researched, there are limited investigations that explore what is expected of the in-school coordinator. The aim of this research is to explore the perspectives of supervising teachers and in-school coordinators with regard to the role of the PEx in-school coordinator. This interpretivist case-study research design used one-to-one, 30-min, semi-structured interviews to gather data from supervising teachers (n = 16) and in-school coordinators (n = 5) about the role. The participants were from five schools involved in a partnership with a regional university. Data were analysed using hand-coding and organised into themes. The small number of participants in this study is recognised as a limitation that meant it was difficult to gauge whether the responses aligned with the broader population. Nevertheless, this case study provided insights into the participants’ viewpoints. Results indicated similarities between the perspectives of the supervising teachers and in-school coordinators. While both parties viewed the role as a connector between the university and school and as providing support to pre-service teachers, the supervising teachers highlighted the importance of in-school coordinators providing an induction, offering career advice, and facilitating positive pedagogical experiences.

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