Creating meaningful field experiences: the application of the job crafting concept to student teachers’ practical learning

ABSTRACT

The successful learning and professional development of student teachers in field experiences depend on the conditions at the individual practicum school. As a consequence, researchers have investigated the relevance of various contextual factors (e.g. mentoring) and ways of improving them (e.g. mentor training). Whether and to what avail student teachers take an active role in adapting the conditions of field experiences to their needs has, however, received scant attention. In applying the concept of job crafting to field experiences during initial teacher education, the present study examines whether student teachers engage in activities to increase resources and control demands during practical phases. How job crafting can be predicted and whether such behaviour is related to higher rates of job satisfaction, engagement, and learning gains are investigated by surveying 132 student teachers at three measurement intervals (beginning, middle, and end) of a 14-week practical phase. The results indicate moderate to high rates of job crafting amongst student teachers. Just as job crafting was significantly predicted by contextual and individual factors, it predicted student teachers’ job satisfaction, teacher engagement and learning gains. The findings support the relevance of a research focus on proactive student teacher behaviour in field experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Student teachers
• field experiences
• job crafting
• longitudinal design
• teaching practicum

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Benjamin Dreer

Benjamin Dreer holds a Master of Education degree in secondary education and a PhD degree in educational sciences. He is currently the scientific manager of the Erfurt School of Education, the centre for teacher education and educational research at the University of Erfurt, Germany. His research interests lie in pre-service teacher education, especially in enhancing conditions during field experiences. Furthermore, he is interested in understanding and fostering teacher and student teacher well-being and job satisfaction.