Exploring teacher buoyancy during practicum: an ecological study of Chinese preservice early childhood teachers

This study aims to clarify the challenges that are frequently encountered by preservice early childhood teachers (ECTs) during practicums and explore how they deal with challenges through teacher buoyancy to enhance well-being in the workplace. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, this study adopted semi-structured interviews with eight preservice ECTs to understand their practicum experiences. This study found that the challenges experienced by participants are related to the dynamic interplay between them and various contextual factors within their workplace ecosystem. They utilised buoyancy to recover from ongoing challenges to avoid being overwhelmed during practicums. The most original contribution of this paper lies in the application and contextualisation of the concept of teacher buoyancy within preservice ECTs’ practicum learning. By revealing how buoyancy is shaped through ecological interactions rather than solely through individual traits, the study offers new insights into teacher education design. Implications for both practice and future research are also discussed.