Teaching in elementary school: Perceptions of foreign-trained teacher candidates on their teaching practicum

The Alternative Teacher Accreditation Program for Teachers with International Experience (ATAPTIE) is a special Bachelor of Education program funded by the Ontario government in Canada to provide new immigrants with the skills and knowledge needed to re-certify and find jobs in Ontario elementary schools. This paper presents interview data that explores the opportunities and challenges ATAPTIE teacher candidates experienced in their teaching practicum. Lave and Wenger's notion of situated learning [(1991). Situated learning. New York: Cambridge University Press] was used to understand the candidates’ learning and acculturation into the teaching profession. Findings contribute to how professional immigrants from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds adapt to Canadian elementary classrooms.