Applying Active Learning Strategies to Develop the Professional Teaching Competency of Chinese College Student Teachers in the Context of Geography Education

Abstract

Developing the professional teaching competence of college student teachers is a vital task in initial teacher education institutions. The aim of this research, based on a quasi-experimental design, was to apply active learning strategies to develop the professional teaching competence of Chinese college geography student teachers. In total, 96 geography student teachers in China participated in this research; 50 of them were placed in the experimental group, and the remaining 46 were placed in the control group. The intervention on active learning strategies was based on Bloom’s taxonomy and the Standards for The Professional Competence of Teachers majoring in Secondary Education for Student Teachers. The experimental group received the experimental intervention for 16 lessons, while the control group was exposed to the traditional teaching in the same teaching schedule. The results of the one-way ANCOVA undertaken show that the intervention consisting of active learning strategies significantly improved the professional competence of the Chinese college student geography teachers in the experimental group. This study contributes empirically to the universities, educators, and researchers involved in initial teacher education programmes in the geography field.