Pre-service Teachers’ Reflections on Prior Experiences of Learning Social Studies

Abstract

Reflection on prior learning experience is important for the professional development of pre-service teachers. Yet, little attention has been paid to how prior learning experiences influence pre-service teachers’ instructional practices. The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ prior learning experiences of social studies and how they influence their instructional practices. This study involved a sample of 108 pre-service teachers in one teacher education institution in Oman. Qualitative data were gathered through online open-ended surveys and unstructured interviews. The findings indicated that pre-service teachers had been subject to a wide range of positive and negative experiences relating to their teachers, teaching and learning, and the subject. Given some issues in participants’ statements on memorization, overloaded content, and limited outdoor activities, it appeared that textbook-centered instruction dominated social studies classrooms. The findings from the interviews revealed that prior learning experiences influenced pre-service teachers’ instructional practices in three ways, encouraging them to: implement student-centered approaches, care about student engagement, and develop student interest in the subject. The study showed evidence that although participants associated their teachers with both positive and negative learning experiences, the teacher played a key role in shaping their prior learning experience and instructional practices.