Ann-Marie Gresele

The Australian Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) highlighted critical areas for improvement in teacher education, namely, effective pedagogies, assessment and feedback, classroom management, and collaborating with parents and the wider community. This paper describes one Australian university's implementation of a four-part continuum experience using simulations within a mixed reality learning environment to address these areas for improvement in the initial teacher education (ITE) program. We also discuss the theoretical foundations underpinning this implementation process. Our findings indicate the ITE simulation program represents one way to prepare reflective pre-service teachers (PSTs) with knowledge, skills and a flexible outlook when teaching in diverse schooling contexts. It identifies potential adjustment areas when implementing simulations for PSTs who have already grappled with the complexity of managing their classes in a real-world setting. It suggests further investigations into feedback mechanisms that support PSTs' positive transfer of learning are needed.