Between ideal teaching and ‘what works’: The transmission and transformation of a content area from university to school placements within physical education teacher education

Mikael Quennerstedt,Gunn Nyberg,Erik Backman,Björn Tolgfors

doi:10.1177/1356336x20949575

Mikael Quennerstedt, Gunn Nyberg + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336x20949575

Copy DOI

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the recontextualisation of Assessment for Learning (AfL) as a particular content area in the transition between a university course and a school placement course within Swedish physical education teacher education (PETE). By combining Basil Bernstein’s pedagogic device and Stephen Ball’s performativity perspective, we alternately ask how AfL is constructed as a pedagogic discourse and what AfL becomes in different contexts within PETE. Nine students attending a Swedish PETE programme participated in the study. The empirical material was collected through one seminar and two group interviews at the university, as well as through nine individual interviews based on lesson observations at different school placements. Our findings highlight five recontextualising rules, which indicate that: (1) the task of integrating assessment into teaching enables the use of AfL; (2) an exclusive focus on summative assessment and grading constrains the use of AfL; (3) a lack of critical engagement with physical education teaching traditions constrains the use of AfL; (4) knowing the pupils is crucial for the use of AfL; and (5) the framing of the school placements determines how AfL can be used. As a consequence of these rules, AfL was transformed into three different fabrications: (1) AfL as ideal teaching; (2) AfL as correction of shortcomings; and (3) AfL as ‘what works’. One conclusion from this study is that increased collaboration between teacher educators and cooperating teachers in schools can help strengthen PETE’s influence on school physical education.

Highlights

Can teacher education make a difference? This question was the point of departure for Brouwer and Korthagen’s (2005) longitudinal study, which indicated that integration of theoretical studies and practical experiences in teacher education programmes had an impact on student teachers’ future teaching
We present how the pedagogic discourse of Assessment for Learning (AfL) is recontextualised in the university and school placement courses within physical education teacher education (PETE)
Our findings highlight five recontextualising rules, which indicate that: (1) the task of integrating assessment into teaching enables the use of AfL; (2) an exclusive focus on summative assessment and grading constrains the use of AfL; (3) a lack of critical engagement with physical education teaching traditions constrains the use of AfL; (4) knowing the pupils is crucial for the use of AfL; and (5) the framing of the school placements determines how AfL can be used

Summary

Introduction

Can teacher education make a difference? This question was the point of departure for Brouwer and Korthagen’s (2005) longitudinal study, which indicated that integration of theoretical studies and practical experiences in teacher education programmes had an impact on student teachers’ future teaching. Our intention is to contribute to the debate on whether teacher education in general, and PETE in particular, matters for teaching practice in schools. According to Black et al (2002, preface): Assessment for learning is any assessment for which the first priority in its design and practice is to serve the purpose of promoting pupils’ learning It differs from assessment designed primarily to serve the purposes of accountability, or of ranking, or of certifying competence

Objectives

Results

Conclusion