Barriers to Preservice Teachers’ Engagement During Professional Experience Placement Through the Lens of Industry Partners

Professional experience placements are fundamental to the preparation of preservice teachers. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore the barriers supervising teacher experience in the classroom to offer quality guidance to preserve teachers’ learning during professional experience. The sociocultural theoretical framing of the study supports a deeper understanding of the data collected from 99 participants, supervising teachers and placement coordinators who participated in this qualitative study. Data were collected via an online Qualtrics survey. Four key barriers to effective placement engagement were identified through thematic analysis: (1) delays, confusion or uncertainties linked to placement documentation and specific requirements for placement guidance; (2) the timing, frequency and type of communication between the tertiary Professional Experience Liaison Officers and placement coordinators/supervising teachers; (3) preservice teachers’ pedagogical preparedness and confidence with content; and (4) contextual factors, including time constraints and additional workload, that affect the recruitment and retention of experienced supervising teachers. These barriers were perceived as not only reducing the overall quality of well-structured professional experience but also affecting the relationships between supervising teachers and preservice teachers. The findings offer insights for universities and industry partners to improve support, structure, communication, and feedback during professional experience placements with a focus on preservice teachers’ learning outcomes.