This article examined undergraduate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of their expectations, fulfilment of these expectations and the relevance of their coursework for classroom practices during three different practicum attachments. The results showed significant differences in their perceptions across the three attachments. The findings of the study are discussed in the light of implications for continued programme development and enhancements to the practicum component that can help to bridge the theory–practice nexus in pre-service teacher education, and contribute to the development of teachers’ professional competencies.