STUPRA: Student Mobility in Practice – Research – Department of Teacher Education
STUPRA: Student Mobility in Practice
In the primary and secondary teacher education program (GLU), pre-service teachers (PSTs) are prepared to work in schools with a diverse learner population from around the world. Teaching practice in the Global South, in our case Zambia, helps PSTs engage with children from a variety of cultural backgrounds. This experience strengthens their readiness for professional roles in multicultural classrooms. Reflections from students who have completed such placements emphasize the development of intercultural competence and global awareness as key aspects of their learning. Our aim is to explore both the learning outcomes of international practice for PSTs and how the quality of such programs can be enhanced.
Project periode
01.01.2024-31.12.2027
Funding
3.000.000 NOK / HK-dir
Research group
Praksis i Sør (PRIS)
Leader of research project
Project plan
Prepare pilot for practice in 2025. Travel to Zambia and meet with representatives from DALICE and MOCE. Organize a workshop with Zambian supervisors on the role of the follow-up teacher in multicultural practice groups.
One-week seminar in Trondheim with 10 invited guests from partner institutions in Zambia. School visits to university schools and guest lectures by the partners for staff at ILU.
Implementation of the pilot with Norwegian and Zambian students in Choma and Livingstone.
Further development of the pilot and preparation for full-scale implementation during spring 2026. Seminar in Trondheim with staff and students from ILU. Develop a plan for follow-up research on students' learning outcomes from mixed practice groups.
Full-scale implementation of a 5-week practice period in Livingstone and Mongu. First round of data collection for the research part of the project.
Two-day evaluation seminar in Livingstone with staff from ILU, DALICE, and MOCE, as well as principals and teachers from partner schools.
Internal seminar on experiences and implementation of the program for staff and students at ILU.
Final seminar together with colleagues in Livingstone. Outline of further collaboration beyond the project. Work on dissemination of results through reports, article writing, and participation in national and international conferences.
About the project
In this project, we aim to develop a model for international teaching practice that can significantly increase the number of students undertaking a placement abroad during their teacher education. This involves both development of the content of the international practice—making it more academically robust and better integrated into the education program—and strengthening collaboration with teacher education institutions in Zambia.
The project's objectives are:
- to achieve a substantial and lasting increase in the number of students undertaking practice in Zambia during their third year of study.
- to develop a model for an international R&D assignment in the third year of teacher education, written in connection with the international practice placement. This will enhance the overall learning outcomes students gain from the international experience and ensure closer integration with the education program.
- to foster closer integration between Norwegian and Zambian PSTs, as well as with Zambian teacher education. A core element of the project is testing a new model for practice in which practicum groups consist of two Norwegian and two Zambian teacher students. This will provide international perspectives on their own education and enhance student learning outcomes.
- to establish a research group that will evaluate the project and contribute research-based knowledge about the effects of the initiative. We will design a qualitative research framework in collaboration with our Zambian partners. For each cohort of outgoing students, we will conduct individual interviews, focus group discussions with the multicultural practice groups, and analyze reflection logs from the Norwegian students.
2027
- Spring: Internal seminar on experiences and implementation of the program for staff and students at ILU. Organize a dissemination seminar related to evaluation and research for other Nordic teacher education institutions through the GLOSS network.
- Autumn: Final seminar with project participants in Zambia. Participation in national teacher education conferences and international conferences.
2026
- Autumn: Two-day evaluation seminar in Livingstone with staff from ILU, DALICE, and MOCE, as well as principals and teachers from partner schools. Participation in the SANORD conference together with colleagues from Zambia.
2025
- Spring: Workshop with Zambian supervisors and teachers on the role of the follow-up teacher in multicultural practice groups.
- October 16, 2025: Seminar in Trondheim with staff and students from ILU focusing on the development of an international R&D assignment for overseas practice.
- October 28, 2025: Presentation of the project at the HK-Dir conference ‘Internationalization in Teacher Education’ at Campus Hamar, INN-University.
2024
- Autumn: One-week seminar in Trondheim with 10 invited guests from partner institutions in Zambia. School visits to our university schools and guest lectures by the partners for staff at ILU.
External participants
- Samwangala Kaumba, David Livingstone College of Teacher Education (DALICE), Zambia
- Stephen Munalula, Mongu Catholic College of Education (MOCE), Zambia