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Embedding Teacher Education in Schools: Exploring Portal Tasks to Bridge Theory and Practice
Conference paper   Open access

Embedding Teacher Education in Schools: Exploring Portal Tasks to Bridge Theory and Practice

Lana McCarthy, David Turner, Hoi Vo and Declan Forrester
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) 2025 Conference (Newcastle, Australia, 30/11/2025–04/12/2025)
2025
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Education Publications
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Abstract

Physical education and development curriculum and pedagogy Professional education and training Teacher education and professional development of educators
One of the most significant challenges in initial teacher education (ITE) across contexts is the disconnection between university coursework and school-based field experiences. To help ITE students navigate this conflicting space to bridge theory-practice divide, ongoing reform efforts have focused on the collaborative and non-hierarchical partnerships between universities and schools. Despite the beneficial impact of school-university partnerships, forging and sustaining such partnerships is challenging given the pressures associated with time and resources, the tensions related to whose knowledge matters, and the limited ongoing communication between stakeholders. Drawing on the concept of third space in ITE, this study introduces the concept of “portal tasks” - school-embedded assessments that are co-developed and co-delivered by mentor teachers and university academics, to support ITE students in applying theoretical knowledge from coursework into real-world classroom contexts. The rationale behind portal tasks is threefold: 1) to embed academic unit content within an authentic school context; 2) to position mentor teachers as assessors and co-educators; and 3) to engage ITE students in real-world teaching experiences integrated seamlessly with academic learning. The primary purpose of this study is to examine mentor teachers’ and ITE students’ perceptions and experiences of a pilot program where a university’s teacher education unit – personal development, health, and physical education (PDHPE) was embedded within a secondary school setting. A qualitative case study approach was used, involving five on-campus ITE students and three mentor teachers at a Queensland secondary school. Across a six-week period, the school hosted weekly workshops and tutorials for the PDHPE unit, collaboratively facilitated by mentor teachers and a university academic. Each ITE student completed two portal tasks: a group-based lesson demonstration and a solo teaching lesson assessed by their mentor teachers. Focus groups were conducted with ITE students and mentor teachers throughout the term to gather insights into their experiences. Thematic analysis revealed three key findings: 1) Mentor teachers engaged in self-directed professional learning and reflective practice through co-teaching and task development, 2) Portal tasks enhanced ITE students’ confidence and competence in applying theoretical knowledge to real-world classroom situations, and 3) Co-developed resources functioned as boundary objects that structured feedback and deepened mentoring conversations. This study highlights the potential of school-university partnerships and embedded assessment models to enable ITE students to more effectively integrate theory and practice in initial teacher education.

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