Development of Chemistry Pre-Service Teachers During Practical Pedagogical Training: Self-Evaluation vs. Evaluation by School Mentors.

Vesna Ferk Savec,Katarina Senta Wissiak Grm

doi:10.17344/acsi.2016.2821

Abstract

The research presented in this article deals with the self-evaluation of 4th year pre-service chemistry teachers' progress during their second year practical pedagogical training in chemistry teaching at primary schools (students' age 13-15 years) in comparison to the perception of their progress by their school mentors. The sample consisted of 21 pre-service teachers and 21 school mentors, in-service chemistry teachers, at primary schools. For the purpose of following to pre-service chemistry teachers' development, the pre-service teachers as well as their mentors completed the "Questionnaire for monitoring students' progress", focusing on eight characteristics of professional development during practical pedagogical training. The results reveal that student-teachers were stricter in their self-evaluation in comparison to their school mentors after their first chemistry lecture at school during the practical pedagogical training; however, after their last lecture, the evaluations were similar for most of the characteristics. The development of five randomly selected student-teachers is presented in detail from their own perspectives, as well as from their school mentors' perspectives.

Highlights

Within the framework of the education of pre-service teachers, practical pedagogical training is viewed as a crucial component in their professional development as teachers.[1,2] Hascher and Hagenauer[3] reviewed different terms referring to the various forms of practical training in teacher education, e.g. teaching practicum, student teaching, field experiences, teaching practice, clinical training, clinical teacher education, teaching experiences, internship, school practicum, school-based teacher education, and school placement
For the pre-service teachers’ first teaching of chemistry, Wilcoxon Ranks Test showed significant differences in perception between pre-service teachers and their school mentors about the future teachers competence in four characteristics: Self-esteem (Z = –2.924, p = 0.003), Discipline (Z = –2.223, p = 0.026), The amount of contents (Z = –2.799, p = 0.005), Active student’s involvement (Z = –2.315, p = 0.021)
The results revealed that after their first chemistry lecture pre-service teachers and their school mentors estimated similar values of four of eight student-teacher characteristics, e.g. no statistically significant differences found for the explanation of the chemistry topic taught, their experimental skills, their ability for providing an appropriate response to the students in the classrooms and their self-dependence in preparing for the lesson

Summary

Introduction

Within the framework of the education of pre-service teachers, practical pedagogical training is viewed as a crucial component in their professional development as teachers.[1,2] Hascher and Hagenauer[3] reviewed different terms referring to the various forms of practical training in teacher education, e.g. teaching practicum, student teaching, field experiences, teaching practice, clinical training, clinical teacher education, (guided) teaching experiences, internship, school practicum, school-based teacher education, and school placement. Hascher and Kittinger[21] proposed students-teachers’ learning and performance model to explain learning in PPT Their model assumes that the quality of learning processes and learning outcomes during PPT is influenced by structural aspects (e.g. single or tandem placement, shortor long-term practicum), organizational aspects (e.g. university-school cooperation, school mentor professionalization), and social aspects (e.g. school social climate, teacher candidate’s integration into the teaching staff). Their model recognizes the role of individual factors of pre-service teachers such as cognition (e.g. pre-knowledge, attitudes, beliefs), motivation (e.g. interest, goal orientation), and emotions (e.g. enjoyment, anger) to contribute to the learning process. This article focuses on the self-evaluation of preservice chemistry teachers’ progress during their PPT in primary schools in comparison to the perception of their progress by their school mentors, who observed their teaching during PPT and provided feedback after each of the lessons

The Context and the Purpose of the Study

Results and Discussion

Conclusion