The rise of school-based teacher education, which puts much emphasis on learning in the workplace, can be ascribed to three factors. Firstly, it can be attributed to a number of developments in society and teacher education, like teacher shortages and the criticism of the relevance of theory in teacher education as a preparation into teaching. Secondly, it can be ascribed to a considerable boost, since the 1980s, in the theory and research about the nature of teacher learning and the development of teaching competence. There are a variety of conceptual frameworks and perspectives on professional knowledge and its acquisition that underline the value of learning in the workplace. Thirdly, a supporting factor for the rise of school-based teacher education is the growing evidence for the benefits of the workplace as a powerful learning environment.
As a result of this boost in research on teacher learning in the workplace studied from various perspectives and in differing contexts, a plethora of terms, explanations and expectations can be found in the literature, with reference to the learning in the workplace in general and to the people who undertake supervisory activities both within and outside the field of education. This has led to a certain amount of confusion about the exact meaning of the terms used by researchers in describing practicum in teacher education.
In the field of teacher education this confusion is rooted in three different sources: various social positions from which supervisory activities can be undertaken, changed role expectations during the last twenty years and diversity of terms used. The first source for the confusion is the diversity of terminology to denote different social positions from which supervisory activities can be undertaken. A social position refers to the position of a person in relationship to others. In teacher education in the workplace of the school, three social positions can be distinguished from which supervisory activities can be undertaken. The second source for the confusion about terminology was the change of attitudes and expectations regarding the role of the mentor teacher, which occurred during the 1990s. A role is described as being the expected behaviour within a social position. The third source for the diversity in terminology is the wide range of terms used to refer to the dialogues between people who are supervising or mentoring and their preservice teachers.