Applying Kolb’s Model to a Nontraditional Preservice Teaching Practicum

Abstract

This article reports on the initial findings of an ongoing study that will see six preservice teachers placed in a nontraditional practicum placement as part of their bachelor of education program. Reported here is the examination of emergent professionalism of the initial two preservice teachers during their nontraditional practicum placement on a housing construction site. Emergent professionalism is enacted when teachers shift their concerns from self to other, as described by Fuller. The findings are then examined from the perspective of Kolb’s experiential learning model, including the concrete experience, observation of and reflection on that experience, formation of abstract concepts based upon the reflection, and testing of the new concepts. As a result of this analysis, new insights are shared regarding the ways in which preservice teachers develop their emergent professionalism through examination of the environment, multiple sources of feedback, interdisciplinary lessons, and a hands-on learning environment.

“I Feel Like a Real Teacher”: Emergent Professionalism of Indonesian Pre-Service Teachers of English

“…This finding suggested that the participants began to demonstrate emergent professionalism as seen from their focus on students' learning rather than on concerns about their teaching performance associated with the evaluative nature of the Micro Teaching class. This finding was in line with a study by Burns and Danyluk (2017) involving six pre-service language teachers. They found that through a teaching practicum experience, their participants realized the elements of learning most valued by their students, such as whether the lesson was engaging, relevant, or authentic (Burns & Danyluk, 2017).…”

“…They teach based on specific methods they have learned in the majors strictly with little regard for their students' needs or proficiency level. The evaluative nature of teaching practice classes, where both teacher mentors and their teachers assess pre-service teachers' teaching, may make them focus on their performance (Burns & Danyluk, 2017). Kuswandono (2017) argued that such an attitude of self-orientation during school-based practicum may lead pre-service teachers to neglect the importance of good social interactions, including with students, which may be necessary for their professional learning.…”

“…That being said, pre-service teachers need to engage in the dynamics of their teaching practices because teaching practices at school could be an opportunity to develop their professional identity as teachers (Burns & Danyluk, 2017). It is when pre-service teachers successfully "move beyond concerns for their success during practicum to concerns for student learning" that they are said to have "emergent professionalism" as teachers (Burns & Danyluk, 2017, p. 2).…”

Experiential learning – a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model

“…Community engagement is central to the process (Deringer, 2017), where learners themselves are central to the context (cf. Burns, & Danyluk, 2017). Blair (2016) identifies that the nature of knowledge construction is a social process (highlighting the works of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky).…”

Learning Style Preferred by English and Computer Students in Indonesia Context

“…By understanding one's learning style, one will be able to develop the skills that help one learns in a variety of ways to achieve full potential. Further, this understanding will assist teach-ers to enable them to match their teaching styles, methodologies and course organization with learners' learning styles to help learners improve their learning (Burns and Danyluk, 2017;Cornett, 1983;Sato & Laughlin, 2018).…”