In autumn 2016, Malmö University started two “fast track” trajectories for teachers with refugee backgrounds. The participants were offered an education of 26 weeks as an introduction to the Swedish school system, consisting of content courses, professional Swedish and workplace learning. The aim of this small explorative study was to get an impression of the participants’ views and understanding of the role of becoming a teacher in Swedish schools, realising the characteristics of pedagogy aimed for in the curriculum, specifically the interaction patterns and student participation in learning processes. Main research questions addressed participants’ expectations of differences and challenges in the Swedish school context as compared to their experiences in Syrian contexts. A combination was chosen of focus groups interviews with a small number of teachers and students on their views and experiences with pupils’ involvement in classroom communication as well as quantitative data gathering. The quantitative survey measured teachers’ acquisition and participation-oriented views on learning. Open-ended reflection on learning questions was also given to the students. Results showed significant development towards more participation-oriented beliefs on learning. Interview data and written statements reveal varied differences between the Swedish context and the participants’ experiences from schools in Syria.
LINK
This study explores how 33 student teachers’ reflections during 106 ‘bumpy moments’ while in an international student teaching internship reveal their professional beliefs, and how the moments make the student teachers reflect upon their subjective educational theories. Student teachers described four themes of professional beliefs: (1) pedagogical content knowledge, (2) school context, (3) organisational skills and (4) self-reflection. Their reflections highlighted aspects of their subjective educational theories when they perceived they lacked an appropriate practical teaching strategy or they had pedagogical interactions with pupils or supervisors. The student teachers’ reflections on pedagogical interactions in a cross-cultural context made them aware of moral dimensions in teaching and their own position during normative (inter)actions. The findings of this study indicate that teacher educators should focus on everyday teaching details that occur during bumpy moments in a student’s teaching practice to explicate larger concepts such as the student teachers’ beliefs.
LINK
Meetings with other professionals are considered crucial for enhancing the quality of teachers' reflections. However, little is yet known about how any beneficial effects of such meetings are brought about. This study explores the peer coach's roles and their influences on the learning processes of their peers and seeks to understand how watching video records of own practice, supports teachers to examine their own professional behaviour in new ways. Within subgroups three teachers took turns in different roles: as trainee, as coach and as observer of the coaching dialogue. They used video recordings of the interactions in their classrooms as feedback. Data for this study included videotaped and transcribed group dialogues and, for triangulation, data from learning reports, questionnaires, and in-depth semi-structured interviews with all participants. Coaching promoted broadening the scope of their reflections. Teachers often started just describing work situations with technical reflections on 'how to'. Non-directive coaching skills created necessary safety and space for learning, but video feedback and more directive coaching skills such as 'Continue to ask questions' were necessary to deepen the reflection process and to relate reflections with analysis of feelings, perspectives of other actors, and with political notions concerning social, moral and political issues. Peer coaching with video feedback affords positive impact to those who coach in addition to those who receive the coaching. Understanding different forms of teacher learning provides insight for research on teacher cognition and may inform the design of video-based professional development.
