En syklisk vei til profesjonell kunnskap: Praksisperiodens påvirkning på kunnskapsproduksjon i lærerutdanning

In recent years, the concept of knowledge has become a fruitful analytical area within the field of teacher education. It is recognised that knowledge can take different forms, and in this regard, Aristotle’s tripartite distinction has been most influential. This consists of theoretical knowledge (episteme), practical knowledge (techne) and the wisdom necessary to combine the two and to know when and how to implement them (phronesis). Much of this research has been rather deductive, with pre-existing categories being used rather than letting categories arise from the data. This chapter attempts to capture a more emic picture of the knowledge production of preservice teachers (PSTs). The chapter is based on semi-structured interviews of 30 PSTs at various stages of their education. The interviews revolved around their experiences of being taught on campus and teaching for themselves during classroom practice. Our findings are that the PSTs experience a circular production of competence, where theoretical knowledge from the lecture hall becomes grounded in their experiences from practice. Such experiences are also brought back into the lecture hall where they may gain more theoretical context. This cyclical analysis is reminiscent of the hermeneutic circle, where deeper understanding is created through repeated oscillation between two different framings of the material.

En gryende læreridentitet

This article is based on a study of the reflection notes written by 62 first term preservice teachers. These reflection notes revolve around how they understand their future professional roles, their concepts of the “good teacher”, and to what degree they feel qualified to become competent professionals. The data was analysed through open coding and constant comparative method. The participants show insight into important aspects of the teaching role. They have their own ideas, visions, and place importance on their own professional attainment. A significant majority of the preservice teachers found their duties to be more complex and demanding than anticipated. In particular, the intense need for involvement and the amount of unforeseen issues that arose came as a surprise to many. The participants display high expectations of themselves in terms of classroom management, but at the same time seem to have faith in their abilities to meet these expectations. At an early stage in their education, we can see a dawning teacher identity among the participants.

Det første møtets sødme? Lærerstudenters første møte med praksisfeltet

This article reports on a qualitative study on the experiences of 126 newly educated preservice teachers from their first encounter with the field of practice, consisting of one week of observations occurring within the first weeks of their studies. The objective of the study was to elucidate the way in which the students’ understanding of the teacher role was altered by this experience, and how their emerging identities as teacher students were affected. The study was conducted through an online open-ended questionnaire and two focus group interviews which were analyzed using Grounded Theory and a constant comparative method. Results indicate that the students primarily focus their attention on the execution of class management, that is, the performance-aspect of the teacher role. Additionally, many students discovered that there is so much more to leading a class than what they had thought or experienced as pupils themselves. Although the development of a teacher identity takes time, the study shows that this development can start early. Observation practice is valuable in this regard. It also gives students relevance and meaning, and is a major influence on their motivation and further commitment.

Tilhørighet under klassens himmel: Lærerstudenter midtveis i profesjonsutdanningen

Students’ connectedness to school is important for academic results, wellbeing and health. Research, mostly from US schools, have shown consistent results over the last 20–30 years. The recent decade especially has yielded important insights for higher education. However, as this knowledge comes from international studies, little is known about Norwegian conditions, and this is the first study to explore students’ connectedness in higher education in Norway. Theoretical reading on empirical data from three focus group interviews with preservice teachers in their 3rd year supported the analysis of students’ connectedness in two categories: social connectedness and academic connectedness. The two categories were not sharply delineated as they interacted with each other, and it seems as though social connectedness was a prerequisite for academic connectedness. This diverges from findings in a Norwegian study on 12-year-old students in primary school, where social and academic connectedness were more equal. We found emotional bonding among students as well as caring and responsibility in both categories. The lecturer (class teacher) became particularly important in creating a classroom environment conducive to learning, and mutual appreciation described the relationship between the lecturer and students. Students praise lecturers who facilitate learning in a caring and accepting classroom environment, whereas students who have not experienced such classes express their lack and disappointment. It is reasonable to assume that a strong connectedness to the university, in our case the Institute of Teacher Education, may strengthen reasons to stay in the educational program and thereby prevent attrition. Longitudinal studies can give some answers in this area.

Skjønn som profesjonell kompetanse hos lærerstudenter

Research into teacher education emphasizes theoretical knowledge, reflection and critical thinking. However, many preservice teachers measure the value of theoretical knowledge by its potential for practical implementation, orienting themselves towards a more technical professional practice. This is consistent with a growing instrumental tendency within the educational system, a development which is worrying. This article focuses on those skills which preservice teachers in their final year anticipate will be important when they enter the profession. It is based on focus group interviews, and the participants’ discourse suggested good judgement to be an important skill. During educational practice, the preservice teachers must make decisions in situations where the solutions are not clear. The findings show that theoretical knowledge is the foundation for the judgment necessary to solve ethical problems. The school guidelines express contradictory expectations of teachers, such as those related to pupils’ measurable results. The preservice teachers’ conversations reflect a dilemma between expectation and opportunity within these guidelines, where the teachers’ judgement becomes a means of clearing the way for children’s learning and formation. As a foundation for our analysis, we use theory on judgement, as well as Aristotle’s conceptualisation of knowledge.

”Kunskap i 3D” – techne, episteme och fronesis, presenterat som samspelande dimensioner

This article introduces a three-dimensional representation or model as a basis for discussing how competence is built. The dimensions are Aristoteles’ three forms of knowledge, episteme, techne and phronesis. The representation tries to visualize Aristoteles knowledge forms as three equal dimensions, that are all necessary and they influence one another on the path to greater competence. The authors try to impose the idea that phronesis is the drive that urges a learning process. The model is described with the topic of language acquisition. It is thereafter used to discuss the content of pedagogy in the teacher education and exemplified with how students move from beginners to more self-reliant educators. This discussion is also founded on Aristoteles concept of “hexis” (habit) and the authors thoroughly discuss the blessings and the curses of habits of the three dimensions of episteme, techne and phronesis. It is not habit as mechanical routines, but as a confident base, which makes teachers openminded and prepared to innovate their practices. Habits can increase a person’s sensibility for wanting change as well as increase resistance to it. If you incorporate a reflecting approach, habit becomes a state of mind and the teacher students can go from being passive recipients to active creators of their teacher identity.

Kunnskapsformer og danningsidealer i lærerutdanningen

The Norwegian national guidelines for primary school teacher education grades 5–10 state that “all subjects in the education must be included in a formation process that ensures that the student possesses the ability to see a case from different sides and research the professional practice from different perspectives” (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2016, s. 8). This study is based on interviews with elementary school preservice teachers. The focus is on their experiences related to the development of their roles as teachers vis-á-vis the place of study and the field of practice. Through conversations with the students, the experience they have of “to do” the teaching profession, “to understand” and / or “to be” the teaching profession is particularly emphasized. These experiences are put into different contexts by the students. Common to all of them is that they are linked to different understandings of knowledge, and not least are the experiences linked to factors that in the theory are emphasized as important when talking about formation and professional development. In order to elucidate the complexity of their experience, we will discuss their reflections and understandings in light of the formation ideals and knowledge forms. Such an approach to discussing the student’s reflections and experiences will also reveal something about the connection between guidelines and the mission of education formation. In this context, it may be possible to say something about the need for a more conscious approach to the educational institutions’ commitment to the students, particularly regarding the knowledges and skills that are part of their professional development.