Pre Service Teachers Make Sense of Teacher Engagement and Teacher Identity through a Looking-Glass World

N

12

Preservice Teachers; Professional Identity; Indigenous Populations; Geographic Isolation; Anxiety; Rural Schools; Elementary Schools; Communities of Practice; Pacific Islanders; Teacher Effectiveness; Standards; Cultural Awareness; Foreign Countries; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Field Instruction; Student Attitudes; Learner Engagement

Pre service teachers are required to engage in Supervised Professional Experiences (SPEs) during their Education Programs. The opportunity to participate as a member of school communities, interact with students and demonstrate knowledge gained during their coursework is generally met with enthusiasm. However, research suggests that pre service teachers completing SPEs in rural and remote communities experience anxiety in managing the cultural context of their placement. Of particular concern is the mismatch and confusion between what has been learned in their course work and the realities of the SPE context. During SPE, teaching becomes more than just knowing content knowledge, rather knowing how to use knowledge to meet the needs of students is fundamental to integrating knowledge and practice. This initial study explores the contribution of a prolonged Wider Field Experience (WFE) in affording pre service teachers with valuable opportunities to practice and rehearse their knowledge and skills in readiness for the SPE. The WFE was carried out in a rural primary school located in an Indigenous community. The study reports on ways in which the pre service teachers engaged in a community of teaching practice that supported a culture of sense making and effective learning through immersion in authentic practices.

As Provided

2019

ED596746