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An analysis of pedagogical development of secondary mathematics and science teacher education students during their methods and pre-student teaching experiences
Abstract
The pedagogical developmental levels that education students progress through during enrollment in a university methods course were investigated. Four stages of development were proposed for preservice teachers: fantasy, survival, mastery, and impact. A structured interview was developed to explore the developmental stages of individual students. In addition, the relationship between an individual's pedagogical developmental level and an academic measure of their present content knowledge base as determined by their overall grade point average, their grade point average in their major field of study, and their mathematics subscore on the Pre-Professional Skills Test was explored. The design of the study was quasi-experimental with a supplemental qualitative component. Twenty-four secondary mathematics education students and 10 secondary science education students agreed to participate in the quantitative component of the study. Six secondary mathematics education students and the cooperating teachers to whom they were assigned during the practicum portion of the methods course agreed to participate in the qualitative component of the study. For the quantitative component, each education student completed three structured interviews. For the qualitative component, data were gathered through weekly reflective journals, classroom observations, and informal interviews. Results showed that the pedagogical developmental levels of the group changed significantly during completion of the university methods course (p $<$.05). This significant change in developmental level occurred during the classroom instruction portion of the course. The results indicated no significant relationship between pedagogical developmental level and academic measures of the present content knowledge base. Recommendations from this study include that: (1) university teacher educators use the information about developmental stages to sequence instruction in teacher training programs more effectively; (2) activities be designed and sequenced to stimulate progression to higher developmental levels during the methods courses; and (3) the characteristics dominant during each developmental stage be considered when evaluating the competency of teachers.
Subject Area
Teacher education|Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
Gregerson, Cheryl Lynn, "An analysis of pedagogical development of secondary mathematics and science teacher education students during their methods and pre-student teaching experiences" (1994). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9519535.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9519535