*3.4. The Fourth Dimension*

Cognition of practice subtleties through relating with university teachers reveals teachers' impact on students' practical learning processes, which familiarizes the students with subtleties of their chosen specialties and with the peculiarities of their professional roles (see Table 4).


**Table 4.** Cognition of Practice Subtleties Knowledge of Their Future Work.

University teachers were not active participants of students' observational practice. Consequently, reflections captured their poor contributions by helping students to perceive the study area: "... advised to look at everything more carefully, whether we really entered where we fitted, whether we would be able to do this work..." Teachers were more active when students returned from practice, sharing impressions, reflecting on what was experienced and lived during practice, and how the attitude to the future profession was changing. Seibert and Daudelin [45], analyzing the importance of different environmental factors for assuring reflection and reflective teaching and learning at the higher education institution, agree that the university teacher's role in this process is one of the essential determinants. Research results demonstrate that reflection takes place more rapidly through individual and group activities if it is run by a skilled person.

#### *3.5. The Content of the Fifth Dimension*

Sharing experiences with friends/colleagues discloses a deeper understanding of the subtleties of practice and one's role as a specialist's role in relating with friends and colleagues (see Table 5).


**Table 5.** Cognition of Practice Subtleties through Relating with Friends/Colleagues.

Due to teachers' limitations not all students had the opportunity to directly interact with the children and to acquire knowledge in the behavior peculiarities of children with special needs. In such cases, students shared acquired experiences with other students "... we found out with group mates, shared impressions and then it was already much clearer what I had to do...", enabling them to plan their further activities with children and better understand aims of their activity.

Students' support was particularly important for those students who hesitated in making up their minds to be special educators. Friends "... encouraged, said, just don't even think about quitting these studies..." Friends' moral support and encouragemen<sup>t</sup> prevailed upon several colleagues preventing them from making spontaneous decisions to quit their studies. Senior students who had already completed this practice also helped students to solve practice related problems and to acquire more knowledge and experience.
