Abstract:

The presentation outlines the assumptions and preliminary results of a two-year project entitled “Flying School of Practice,” implemented as part of the Science for Society program at The Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw. The project was created in response to, on the one hand, the questionable quality of professional practice in teacher training courses and, on the other hand, widespread complaints about the growing gap between pedagogical theory and school practice (Philips, Condy, 2023). The project is of a research and application nature and involves the implementation of teaching practices by students – future teachers in grades 1-3 of primary school – in deliberately selected primary schools (public and non-public) together with academic teachers. The aim of the research is to analyze the experiences gained by students in a professional environment. The method used is action research with the participation of participants (Kemmis, McTaggart, 2005; Heck, 2024), and the research material is obtained through in-depth interviews and reflection journals. The analysis focuses on the process of shaping professional pedagogical knowledge through practice, interactions with, among others, academic teachers during internships in schools - joint negotiation of meanings and the creation of a so-called learning community (Smith, MacGregor, 2009).
The presentation will showcase the experiences of students participating in the project in selected areas.

Keywords:

Student’s practice, student’s experiences during practice, primary school, reflective practice.