Another benefit that four of the participants identified as resulting from their
involvement in the CCD program was the opportunity to get acquainted with the Australian
curriculum and education system. YZ succinctly identified the benefit she gained from the
CCD program when she suggested, “coming from a different background, I have no
experience of students’ early schooling. This project [program] has offered me an opportunity
to see the Australian education system as a whole (sic)”. Often IPSTs are expected to
undertake their professional placement on the onset of their study program. Coming from a
different context, these PSTs do not have much time to familiarise themselves with the
curriculum or the education system in order to successfully implement the teaching and
learning activities expected by the stakeholders in the school (Ashman et al.,2013; Slethaug,
2007). This unfamiliarity frequently impacts on the outcome of their placement. Being
involved in a program like the CCD affords IPSTs opportunities to learn about the local
educational context in a non-threatening environment.