Baxter Magolda Research Articles

(Supervised) Practice Makes Progress: Student Meaning Making And Development Through Internship Experiences

ABSTRACT Informed by Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Baxter Magolda’s holistic theory of student development, this qualitative study explores the experiences of graduate students in a supervised internship. From an analysis of written assignments completed during the internship experience, our findings reveal abundant meaning-making opportunities for graduate students to gain valuable insights about their personal and professional development, navigating transitions, and application of educational content to real-world settings.

MODELS OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

MODELS OF INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

NARRATIVES OF SELF-AUTHORSHIP: HOW A GRADUATE FROM AN EFL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME BECAME A BUSINESS WOMAN AND A WEDDING HOST

Self-authorship is the capacity to define one’s beliefs, identity, and social relations, which forms a developmental foundation for twenty-first-century learning outcomes and is often reported in the stories of college graduates (Baxter Magolda, 2007). This narrative study explores self-authorship manifested in career pathways and experiences of an alumnus from an EFL teacher training programme of a prestigious training institution. Narrative interviews were conducted to collect the participant’s stories. Adopting the three dimensions of self-authorship and the four-phase framework of self-authorship development for analyzing in-depth narratives of the participant, the researchers constructed two mini-stories to present two main themes, namely the first job experience and the final career choice. The themes illustrate the development of self-authorship, and the study calls for education institutions to provide students with more opportunities to develop self-authorship .

Toward Epistemological Development Across the Curriculum: The Effect of Embedded Epistemic Instruction

Abstract: The present study investigated enhancing undergraduates' epistemological beliefs by integrating epistemological insights into a regular university course using an immersion framework. It was conducted with second-year students in the Department of English Language and Cultures in an Algerian university. The 48-student group received a two-semester study skills course designed with built-in notions about the nature, construction, sources, and certainty of knowledge, along with the original course content. A 19-subject group received a traditional study skills course. Both samples' epistemological beliefs were measured using Baxter Magolda's epistemological reflection model before and after the treatment. A qualitative analysis of the data indicated a significantly greater increase in the sophistication of the treatment group's epistemological beliefs when compared to the control group. These results highlight the considerable potential that a curriculum design informed by personal epistemology research has to offer to all educational endeavors and, hence, to overall epistemological complexity in society. Recommendations are made for policymakers, instructional designers, and teachers.

Self-authoring characteristics of the Montessori School graduates

The modern world requires a new mindset for people to enable them to become self-evaluating human beings. Kegan (1994) termed this complex system of mind the self-authorship. This is the ability to generate belief systems and intrapersonal states internally. The self-authorship analyses are culturally diverse. This paper presents two theories, namely the concept of self-authorship by Baxter Magolda (1998, 2001) and Obuchowski’s (2000, 2006) theory of self-authoring personality. The latter remains a framework of the description of central psychosocial attributes for the self-authoring personality of Montessori School graduates. The self-authoring studies of diagnostic character aimed at qualification of the authoring personality standard as well as subjective denotations of authoring attributes of the Montessori School graduates. The study covered 69 former students (56.5% women, 43.5% men) of the state Primary Montessori School in Lublin. The self-authoring personality standard was qualified using The Self-Authoring Personality Questionnaire elaborated by Obuchowski and colleagues (Blachnio & Obuchowski, 2011). The personal denotations conferred on authoring attributes were examined by means of the questionnaire My Experiences based on the adaptation of Self-Confrontation Method by Hermans (1991). The level of self-authoring personality in female and male groups was high and characterised by similar values. In the personal statements the persons being examined described themselves as those who perceive themselves as a source of behaviour and the own aims were object of their projects designed for accomplishment in relation with the other people. As follows from the data, the participants of the study acquired skills indispensable for making individual decisions about themselves and the outer world.

Learning Partnerships in Study Abroad: Adapting Baxter Magolda’s Learning Partnership Model

While study abroad is often seen as a beneficial tool to prepare students for life in a global society, research has questioned its effectiveness in doing so. Practitioners would benefit from a theoretical framework to guide program development and implementation. This article shares how Baxter Magolda’s learning partnership model could be adapted to the study abroad context and suggests expansions and refinements of the model to better align it with the study abroad context.

Impact of Intercultural Educational Space on the Formation of Intercultural Competence of Future Teachers at a Pedagogical Higher Education Institution

The proposed research is directed at studying the impact of the intercultural educational space on the formation of intercultural competence of future teachers at a pedagogical higher education institution. To determine the levels of intercultural development, the authors adopted the Intercultural Maturity Model by P. King and M. Baxter Magolda. Having identified the initial, intermediate, and mature levels of intercultural development, the authors analyze the process of completion to the full development of intercultural competence. Experimental research was conducted in 2019 at the Institute of Pedagogics and Psychology at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatyuk National Pedagogical University, Ukraine. To conduct the study the authors opened the Intercultural Communication Center, whose activity was aimed at modeling and implementation of intercultural educational space at this university. The participants in this study were 63 future teachers (third-year students of the University). The pedagogical experiment included the following stages: preparation, diagnostics, formation, and control. The authors identified the intercultural orientation of the goals of the educational process and tasks at each stage. The following methods were used: analysis, survey, interview, conversation, methods of observation. During the pedagogical experiment, attention was focused on the formation of students’ intercultural abilities according to the content and structure of intercultural competence. The study showed a redistribution of respondents in groups – a significant decrease in the percentage of students on the Initial Development Level (the difference is 55.6%) and an increase on the Intermediate Development Level (the difference is 20.6%) and Mature Development Level (the difference is 34.9%). Statistics allow us to assert the significant dynamics of changes in group indicators by levels of intercultural competence at the beginning and end of the study. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the creation of the intercultural educational space at the higher education institution has a positive effect on the process of intercultural competence formation.

Journey to Authentic Learning - Enacting Reciprocity in Nursing Graduate Education - A Reflective Writing Circle

The transformative experience of engaged presence in teaching and learning fosters trust and supports learners and teachers to explore, learn, and grow in their understanding of who they are becoming. Enacting presence in teaching becomes an act of care and creates an embodied space for learners to engage in authentic learning and enter the realm of self-authorship. Self-authorship encourages the cultivation of one’s internal voice to construct beliefs, identity, and social relationships to be able to give up one way of making meaning to adopt a deeper meaning (Baxter Magolda, 2009, 2014). This reflective writing circle captures the essence of a master’s student and two educators’ transformative learning as they journey together in relationship towards a deeper understanding of their Indigenous and Settler identities and respond to the Calls to Action.
 Keywords: presence, authentic learning, self-authorship, Calls to Action, writing circle

More Than Play: Benefits of Play Therapy Training for Undergraduates and Implications for Student Affairs

More Than Play:Benefits of Play Therapy Training for Undergraduates and Implications for Student Affairs Maggie M. Parker (bio) and Ashley N. Stone (bio) Grounded in Carl Rogers's (1951) personcentered theory, play therapy is built on the belief that children are able to self-actualize and heal the self within a supportive relationship and that children are capable, creative, worthy of respect, and growth oriented (Landreth, 2012). Play therapy provides a differing perspective into how one interacts with, understands, and engages in relationships with not only children, but also people of all ages. The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate students' experiences in and perceptions of a play therapy course and to examine if the course assisted university students in developing their self-authorship by exploring the research question: How are students impacted beyond the classroom by an undergraduate play therapy course? PLAY THERAPY AND ADULTS Play therapy has been adapted to allow adults important in children's lives to become therapeutic agents; this adaptation is based on the assumption that an adult with a prominent relationship with the child of focus can create lasting change through the use of therapeutic play skills. Although the intent of play therapy is the child's self-actualization and healing, some scholars have examined the effects of play therapy training on the adults who become the therapeutic agents. Landreth (2002) found that after learning about and conducting play therapy, adults experienced more positive sense of self, improved problem-solving skills, better relationships with others, and greater understanding of personal emotions. Parents and teachers who participated in child–parent [End Page 385] relationship therapy (CPRT) and child–teacher relationship training (CTRT) reported increased empathy (Edwards, Ladner, & White, 2007; Foley, Higdon, & White, 2006; Kinsworthy & Garza, 2010; Lahti, 1992; Lindo, Akay, Sullivan, & Meany-Walen, 2012; Solis, Meyers, & Varjas, 2004; Wickstrom, 2009), enhanced child–parent relationships, and strengthened relationships with family members (Wickstrom, 2009) and partners (Lahti, 1992; Wickstrom, 2009). Though few researchers have explored the outcomes of play therapy training for undergraduate students, Meany-Walen et al. (2014) found that those who engaged in an undergraduate therapeutic play course incorporated the skills and understanding of children into their relationships with peers. Students reported increased awareness of others' emotions and more confidence in their own ability to relate to others. COLLEGE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Self-authorship offers a holistic approach to understanding student development (Baxter Magolda, 2008, 2009). This includes students' learning to trust their internal voice and building an internal foundation as they secure internal commitments. Learning to trust their internal voice occurs as students learn to differentiate "between reality and their reaction to it" (Baxter Magolda, 2009, p. 631), helping them take responsibility for how they interpret and respond to reality. In building an internal foundation, students organize and test their choices and commitments as they grow to trust their internal voice. While personal development between the ages of 20 and 30 happens whether a person enrolls in college or not, institutions of higher education often take an active role in fostering the development of their students. Previous researchers found parents and teachers trained in CPRT and CTRT developed stronger selfawareness (Kinsworthy & Garza, 2010; Lindo, Akay, Sullivan, & Meany-Walen, 2012), and the work of Meany-Walen et al. (2014) offers similar findings for undergraduate students; thus, exploring how play therapy skills could enhance students' development of trust in their internal voice and the building of an internal foundation is warranted. INFORMATION ON THE COURSE The play therapy course we studied was offered to undergraduate students of any major at a small private university in the Southeast and was taught by the first author. The course was similar in content to graduate-level play therapy courses and CPRT, focusing on the purpose, supporting evidence, and skills involved in play therapy. The content and practice focused on how the material could be utilized within already established relationships. The course was both experiential and didactic, with students using skills learned through smallgroup activities and opportunities to practice play skills, self-reflect, and increase awareness of interaction cues. While students learned the theory of play therapy, the majority of the course focused on the key concepts that...

Understanding STEM teacher learning in an informal setting: a case study of a novice STEM teacher

Research into informal STEM education over the past years has shown that informal learning environments increase students’ learning in STEM. However, how STEM teachers learn in an informal setting remains unclear. Such educators who work in informal settings are not all required to have undergone teacher education or professional development, and their progress may differ from other teachers’ experiences. As a result, it is important to observe and understand the path such teachers take to see how they develop their teacher identities. Drawing upon Baxter Magolda’s (Making their own way: Narratives for transforming higher education to promote self-development, 2004) self-authorship framework, this qualitative case study explores the progress of one informal STEM teacher throughout her first class by qualitatively analyzing her journals, lesson plans, and artifacts. The teacher’s journey progresses towards self-authorship in a nonlinear way with multiple signs of the epistemological, intrapersonal, and interpersonal dimensions of the framework being deeply interconnected to one another. Implications for STEM teacher education within the context of informal STEM education are discussed.

Evaluating Knowing and Reasoning in College for Use in Christian Higher Education

This article evaluates Marcia B. Baxter Magolda’s cognitive development theory in Knowing and Reasoning in College (1992) for its potential use in Christian higher education. Baxter Magolda is an educator and researcher who pioneered a study on cognitive development at Miami University. Her study considers both genders’ perspectives on development. This article utilizes John David Trentham’s principle of inverse consistency as a precedent to reorient Baxter Magolda’s model to one consistent with a Christian worldview.

Learner-Created Podcasts: Fostering Information Literacies in a Writing Course

This paper describes an experimental learner-created podcasting assignment in a first-year undergraduate research skills course for professional writers. The podcasting assignment serves as a contextualized experiential writing project that invites students to refine their research skills by participating in the invention of an emerging genre of radio storytelling. The power of the podcast assignment lies in the liminal space it creates for learners. It moves students beyond familiar and regimented essay conventions to an unstable writing environment where digital tools for producing, publishing, and negotiating meaning offer a range of possible audiences, modalities, forms, and modes of meaning making. This space creates the pedagogical conditions for epistemic development, through which students adopt as their own the research practices of adept and experienced writers. The multiple demands of this course on writing, research, and digital environments generates the beginnings of interdisciplinary writing pedagogy involving Kent’s (1993, 1999) postprocess mindset, the ACRL’s (2015) Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education, Baxter Magolda’s (1999) constructive-developmental pedagogy, and Arroyo's (2013) elaboration of participatory digital writing pedagogy.

Assessing Doctoral Student Development of Self-Authorship: The Epistemological, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal Growths

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess to what extent current doctoral students developed self-authored perspectives, as well as to assess whether or not there was an association between the number of years in the doctoral program and the development of three dimensions of self-authorship (i.e., Epistemological, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal). Background: Self-authorship is a way of knowing that assists adults in the management of their lives in a way that helps them succeed in society. It is important to study the development of self-authorship in doctoral students because such development is necessary for individuals to overcome the challenges they experience in doctoral programs. The importance of this study rests on the fact that self-authorship development may prompt doctoral students’ ability to succeed in the completion of their doctoral degrees, as well as to meet the challenges of their future in academia. Methodology: Forty-five doctoral students in a Teaching and Learning program were surveyed on three constructs: Epistemological, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal. The Doctoral Students’ Self-Authorship Questionnaire was developed by the author based on Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship development. Three level-two constructs of self-authorship were conceptually and operationally defined. Contribution: There is no instrument available (i.e., a questionnaire) to assess the self-authorship perspectives of doctoral students. Although it is expected that people will develop self-authored perspectives as they get older, it is unknown to what extent current doctoral students develop self-authorship. No previous studies have assessed doctoral student self-authorship. Findings: The findings showed that participants had advanced levels in all three dimensions and continued to develop towards self-authorship. However, results showed a nonsignificant association between years in the doctoral program and self-authorship development. In other words, although doctoral students spend many years in certain programs, this spent time does not contribute significantly to their development of self-authorship. Recommendations for Practitioners: The current study suggested that doctoral programs should investigate their students’ development toward self-authorship and provide them with more opportunities to better improve their self-authorship. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings suggest further research into the developmental opportunities available for students within doctoral programs that assist students’ ability to develop self-authored perspectives. Impact on Society: The findings supported the importance of assessing doctoral students’ self-authorship as part of doctoral programs. Without the assessment of doctoral student development of self-authorship in their programs, less effort might be taken to address student needs in developing self-authorship. Future Research: Future research may continue the study of self-authorship for doctoral students from different disciplines or schools, especially where attrition rates are high.

Positing a framework for cultivating spirituality through public university leadership development

Purpose Similar to religion, spirituality is considered a private affair along with issues of faith, hope, and love (Palmer, 1998). American public education has been reluctant to address such issues due to our cultural norm of “separation of church and state” (Love and Talbot, 2000, p. 1) yet the American Council for Education calls upon higher education to provide students ways to explore their personal values, world beliefs, and spirituality (Chickering et al., 2006; Dalton and Crosby, 2006). As such, the purpose of this paper is to explore student leaders’ perspectives on how leadership development activities influenced their sense of spirituality. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study design was used to explore responses from ten student leaders who completed a leadership development program in the Spring 2015 at a public four-year institution. As part of the leadership development program, students were paired a peer mentor while they completed leadership workshops, a reflection paper, self-assessment, and an ongoing community service project painting murals with individuals who have intellectual disabilities. Participants were from various majors and religious backgrounds and had completed the leadership development program two months prior to their participation in this study. Findings Findings revealed that leadership workshops, self-assessment, reflections, peer-to-peer mentorship, and an ongoing shared community service project, influenced students’ perspectives of spirituality and their leadership identity. Student leaders both did and did not differentiate the developmental process of leadership from the spiritual development process, defining both as cognitive and emotional development deeply grounded in self-awareness. Study participants shared that through self-reflection, developing their inter and intra personal skills through conducting service, shaped their understanding of their spiritual identity and developed their sense of self. Research limitations/implications Study results are not generalizable but provide insight into the experiences and perceptions of student leaders on two hard-to-define topics: spirituality and leadership. The order of the interview questions may have influenced the thought process leading up to student’s responses connecting spirituality and leadership concepts. Another limitation is that the leadership activities were designed and coordinated by the lead investigator. Hence, there may be findings that were influenced by the investigators’ personal beliefs about leadership. Study participants may have also felt more comfortable discussing their beliefs about spirituality because of their familiarity with the lead investigator. Practical implications Results support the notion that non-faith based public institutions may intentionally support the spiritual development of students through the context of leadership development program activities. Approaching spiritual and leadership development through Baxter Magolda’s (2009) theory of self-authorship allows students to experience new activities coupled with personal self-reflection, to deepen their self-understanding, compassion for others, and self-awareness. This learning is an ongoing process that expands as students engage in contemplative practices such as mindfulness training provided through leadership workshops, self-reflection, and peer-to-peer interactions and self-assessment. Social implications This case study illustrates that intentionally designed and implemented leadership development programs may cultivate both the spiritual and leadership identities and behaviors of students. Also, this study reveals that spirituality and leadership are not mutually exclusive processes because both are deeply rooted in connecting to our community, connecting to our greater purpose and our higher consciousness about who we are and how we treat others. Hence, this work may support educators develop more compassionate and empathetic students who are agents of positive social change. Originality/value This qualitative case study suggests a new framework for public institutions to support students’ leadership and spiritual development through the theoretical framework of self-authorship. As such, educators can stop being fearful about discussing religion, spirituality, and matters of the heart if they use this framework to design leadership developmental activities.

Students as partners in learning and teaching: The benefits of co-creation of the curriculum

This research explores the benefits of co-creation of the curriculum, which is seen as one form of student-staff partnership in learning and teaching in which each partner has a voice and a stake in curriculum development. This qualitative research analyses participants’ perceptions of co-creation of the curriculum in the Scottish higher-education sector. Initial findings show that some staff and students participating in co-creation of the curriculum perceive it to benefit them by (a) fostering the development of shared responsibility, respect, and trust; (b) creating the conditions for partners to learn from each other within a collaborative learning community; and (c) enhancing individuals’ satisfaction and personal development within higher education. Using Barnett’s conceptualisation of supercomplexity and Baxter Magolda’s three-pronged view of self-authorship, the author suggests that critical and democratic engagement in co-creation of the curriculum can develop the self-authorship of both students and staff members, including their cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities which help them adapt to an ever-changing, supercomplex world.

Developmental Complexity in Student Conduct: An Extended Case Analysis of Student Board Members

Developmental Complexity in Student Conduct:An Extended Case Analysis of Student Board Members Joshua D. Bittinger (bio), Gabriel Reif (bio), and Ezekiel W. Kimball (bio) College students frequently serve on boards that hear cases of alleged student misconduct. These students contribute to decisions that can affect their peers' lives and make their colleges vulnerable to litigation and negative media coverage. It is critical that student board members carefully interpret all information presented in disciplinary proceedings and consistently apply institutional procedures and relevant laws in order to both protect their institutions and ensure fair outcomes for students involved in the conduct process. Existing literature provides an inadequate evidentiary base from which to conclude that student board members can maintain these crucial standards of care and consistency. Most empirical literature examining the developmental outcomes of the conduct process has focused on the responding student (e.g., Dannells, 1997; Stimpson & Stimpson, 2008). The limited empirical literature on conduct boards has focused almost exclusively on administrators, but even this literature calls into question how consistently decisions can be made (Stimpson & Janosik, 2015; Waller, 2013). For student board members, varied levels of cognitive and moral reasoning and development may further shape students' decision-making and challenge them as they organize, interpret, and evaluate voluminous, often contradictory information before rendering a judgment. For this qualitative study of the cognitive and moral development of students who adjudicate disciplinary cases, we aimed to determine these students' ability to perform their duties adequately. We utilized the extended case method to explore how well theories of cognitive development (Baxter Magolda, 1992) and moral development (Rest, Narvaez, Thoma, & Bebeau, 2000) reflected the experiences of student hearing board members. The participants in this study were drawn from an academic course intended to help train student hearing board members at a large public university (LPU). Our data analysis included observation of class activities and review of student assignments. Our findings indicated that using undergraduate students to determine the responsibility of their peers who have been accused of violating student conduct codes may be problematic. BAXTER MAGOLDA'S WAYS OF KNOWING We selected Baxter Magolda's (1992) ways of knowing as the theoretical lens by which to understand cognitive development because of its focus on context in the reasoning process. [End Page 243] Baxter Magolda suggested that there are four ways of knowing: absolute, transitional, independent, and contextual. Absolute knowers view knowledge as certain and held by authorities, such as course instructors or text-books. Transitional knowers often still rely on authorities for information, but they also seek to actively engage information and recognize the possibility of differing interpretations of what is true. In contrast, independent knowers do not believe in the certainty of knowledge and find value in many different sources of information. Finally, contextual knowers view knowledge as individually constructed in a setting established by authorities, peers, and significant others of influence. NEO-KOHLBERGIAN MORAL DEVELOPMENT We utilized the neo-Kohlbergian model of Rest et al. (2000) as the theoretical lens through which to understand moral development. These moral development theorists suggested that there are three moral reasoning schemas: personal interest, maintaining norms, and postconventional. Under the personal interest schema, individuals make decisions based on the outcomes that directly relate to themselves or their loved ones. As individuals move into the maintaining norms schema, they recognize the importance of making decisions that create and ensure social order. For those reaching the postconventional schema, decisions are viewed based on their contribution to social values and ideals. THE ROLE OF HEARING BOARDS Relevant case law has established requirements for how disciplinary panels operate. Conduct boards cannot sanction a student for violating a policy unless the student has been notified of charges concerning that policy (Fellheimer v. Middlebury College, 1994). Additionally, conduct boards are obligated to follow institutional disciplinary procedures, including providing students with safeguards listed in institutional codes of conduct (Holert v. U. of Chicago, 1990; Schaer v. Brandeis U., 2000). Legal precedent shows that courts may intervene when conduct boards act in ways that are arbitrary and capricious (Anderson v. Mass. Inst. of Tech., 1995). The case law clearly establishes that board members must operate consistently within the established parameters to protect the...

The experiences of postgraduate psychology students regarding the development of multicultural competence

This study investigated the experiences of postgraduate psychology students regarding their multicultural competence development (MCCD). King and Baxter Magolda’s multidimensional framework for the development of intercultural maturity, comprising cognitive, interpersonal and intrapersonal dimensions served as theoretical grounding. A qualitative, case study design was employed, using thematic analysis to analyse focus group data. It was found MCCD takes place across the lifespan and in various contexts. Methods to overcome obstacles to MCCD were identified, as well as the participants’ positions of MCCD. Lastly, educational experiences that promote MCCD are discussed.

Toward Self-Authoring a Civic Teacher Identity: Service-Learning in Teacher Education

Previous scholarship has examined how teachers’ civic knowledge and conceptions of citizenship influence their goals, pedagogical practices, and confidence in teaching citizenship, but few studies have probed how teacher candidates develop identities as civic educators through community service-learning projects. This case study draws upon Baxter Magolda’s framework of self-authorship to investigate how teacher candidates in a Canadian university began to self-author their identities as civic educators through their experience of developing and delivering citizenship learning modules to youth through a community-based project. Our qualitative analysis of the data indicates that participating in change-oriented service-learning can lead teacher candidates to challenge their assumptions about youth engagement, increase their sense of self-efficacy as civic educators, and, to some extent, develop an awareness of self in relation to others.

Charlie, Mike, Victor: Student Veterans' Loss of Purpose

As student veteran populations and visibility have increased on campus, some scholars have explored how higher education works (or fails to work) to serve those who have served their country. In military radio jargon, “Charlie Mike” means, “continue the mission.” In this study, the mission was transitioning to and persisting through college and the participants were Student-Veterans and Service-Members (SVSM) – a term coined by Arminio, Grabosky, and Lang (2015). Thus – “Charlie Mike Victor” – focuses on the continuation of the mission for several “victors” – the phonetic “v” in ”Victor” here meaning “veterans.” In this study the concept of self-authorship (Baxter Magolda, 2007; Baxter Magolda & King, 2012) was combined with Schlossberg’s (1981) transition theory to explore the experiences of SVSM in higher education. This study seeks to build on the existing scholarship and more fully explore the role of various identities in the experience of SVSM.

A study of pre-service classroom teachers' beliefs about teachers' and students' roles

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study is to determine pre-service classroom teachers' beliefs and thoughts about the roles of teachers and students in the classroom before taking the Mathematics Teaching I course. With this purpose, the study employed the survey method, a descriptive research technique. The study sample included 75 pre-service teachers (55 females and 20 males) who studied in Omer Halisdemir University's education faculty's primary level teaching department classroom teaching programme in the 2013–2014 academic year, and took the Mathematics Teaching I course. The study data were collected using a survey form including three open-ended structured questions. The data were analysed using the qualitative data analysis method. The study results indicated that the pre-service teachers' beliefs, in terms of both teachers' and students' roles, were between the absolute and transitional levels based on Baxter Magolda's epistemological refection model. This reveals that pre-service teachers' beliefs are in line with conventional teaching and learning approaches.