Collaboration for success: Queensland style

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to share some of the collaborative experiences and successes of the Queensland Consortium for Professional Experiences in Pre-service Teacher Education as it seeks to develop a collaborative model/or inter-university working. There are currently ten institutions offering pre-service teacher education programs in Queensland. Each has a different emphasis and structure, yet shares the common feature of the facilitation of professional experience, and the problematic issues relating to securing quality placements for students in local and rural settings. Established in 2003 and consolidated in 2004, the Consortium has worked proactively to adopt an approach that is collaborative and shares responsibility among its stakeholders to address the challenges and issues associated with professional experiences for all pre-service teachers. Membership of the Consortium is reflective of stakeholders with an interest in the logistical arrangements of professional experiences in education. It therefore includes both academic and administrative staff from the universities, and representatives from relevant education sectors. The mix of academic and administrative staff has been particularly significant in developing a shared understanding for teacher preparation and the difficulties faced by administrators who communicate directly with schools to acquire local and rural school placements. This collaborative effort between universities and stakeholders has laid the groundwork for a sustainable partnership that supports quality pre-service teacher professional experiences