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Assessing orientations to learning to teach
Author(s) -
Oosterheert Ida E.,
Vermunt Jan D.,
Denessen E.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1348/000709902158766
Subject(s) - psychology , mathematics education , scale (ratio) , cognition , teaching method , physics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience
Background. An important purpose of teacher education is that student teachers develop and change their existing knowledge on learning and teaching. Research on how student teachers variously engage in this process is scarce. In a previous study of 30 student teachers, we identified five different orientations to learning to teach. Aims. Our aim was to extend the results of the previous study by developing an instrument to assess orientations to learning to teach at a larger scale. The development and psychometric properties of the instrument are discussed. The results with respect to how student teachers learn are compared to the results of the qualitative study. Sample. Participants in this study were 169 secondary student teachers from three institutes which had all adopted an initial in‐service model of learning to teach. Methods. On the basis of extensive qualitative study, a questionnaire was developed to assess individual differences in learning to teach. Factor‐, reliability‐, and nonparametric scalability analyses were performed to identify reliable scales. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of students with similar orientations to learning to teach. Results. Eight scales covering cognitive, regulative and affective aspects of student teachers' learning were identified. Cluster analysis indicates that the instrument discriminates well between student teachers. Four of the five previously found patterns were found again. Conclusions. The four orientations found in relatively uniform learning environments indicate that student teachers need differential support in their learning. Although the instrument measures individual differences in a reliable way, it is somewhat one‐sided in the sense that items representing constructive ways of learning dominate. New items forming a broader range of scales should be created.

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