The Practicum in Teacher Education for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: Lessons from North-West University

This working paper examines the implementation of the pre-service teacher education practicum at North-West University (NWU) in South Africa, illuminating its contribution both to strengthening the teaching of foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) , as well as its support for broader educational reforms.

The analysis, which draws on systematic review and an exploratory case study involving student teachers, faculty, school coordinators and mentors, responds to two key research questions:
1. What aspects of the practicum contribute to improved FLN teaching and what factors shape their effectiveness?
2. How can such a practicum model support broader reforms such as curriculum implementation, scaling evidence-based teaching approaches, and classroom data use?