Concluding Thoughts and Future Considerations on Innovation in School-University Partnerships in Initial Teacher Education

Abstract

Throughout the many examples of school-university partnerships presented in this collection, there are multiple models and designs that constitute a partnership. When we began to develop this edited volume, we had insights into how school-university partnerships within initial teacher education were being formed, as well as a clear understanding of key indicators informing effective partnerships. By the final stages of curating this edited collection, inspired by the innovation we were seeing across Australia, more questions arose relating to the fundamental aspects of partnership design. Is a policy framework necessary for a school-university partnership to be successful? Would school-university partnerships be explored without initial teacher education accreditation requirements mandating formal agreements? Do schools initiate partnerships with universities? Should the focus of school-university partnerships centre around the number of pre-service teacher professional placements in schools? This final chapter explores these provocations and poses further considerations in the hope of advancing discussions on successful school-university partnerships.