Schön (1987) views the practicum as the place where the theoretical curriculum and
practical experience are integrated, and rejects a view of the practicum as ‘technical training or seeking right answers’ (p. 39). He contrasts a technical practicum where professional knowledge is seen as ‘facts, rules and procedures applied nonproblematically’ (p. 39) with a reflective practicum where we ‘make new sense of uncertain, unique or conflicted situations of practice’ (p. 39). Schön highlights the crucial role of the senior practitioner or coach (i.e. the supervising teacher), noting that coaches in a reflective practicum do not simply observe performance to detect errors or point out correct procedures, but rather ‘emphasise indeterminate zones of practice and reflective conversations’ (p. 40).