Giving birth to a supervisory identity built upon pedagogical perspectives on teaching: The case of a novice physical education cooperating teacher

Abstract

Teaching perspectives in initial teacher education are useful analytical tools for exploring the development of professional identity and the supervisory practices of cooperating teachers working with preservice teachers on school placement. A case study design was employed with an experienced physical education teacher newly appointed as a cooperating teacher to a cohort of three physical education preservice teachers to examine how his professional identity was challenged by the demands of the new role as a mentor. Data were collected throughout a one-year school placement and included three semi-structured interviews and the cooperating teacher’s weekly journal entries. Analysis was informed by grounded theory coding procedures. Open codes were collapsed into three metaphorical axial themes: (a) the chameleon, (b) a tailor-made cooperating teacher, and (c) the liaison of relations. To perform his new role as a cooperating teacher and surpass the emergent supervisory challenges in developing a pedagogical relationship with his first cohort of preservice teachers, the cooperating teacher called upon his educational perspectives on teaching physical education built on constructive, collaborative and inquiry premises, but ended up practising teaching perspectives echoing an apprenticeship model due to the preservice teachers’ personal characteristics.

Between ideal teaching and ‘what works’: The transmission and transformation of a content area from university to school placements within physical education teacher education

“…According to Chambers and Armour (2012), school placements can be seen as key worksites for PETE students’ learning in the collaboration process between universities and schools. In line with this suggestion, both Mordal-Moen and Green (2014) and Amaral-da-Cunha et al (2020) highlight that the PETE students in their studies viewed the school placement settings and the cooperating teachers as the two most important elements of their PETE programmes. Behets and Vergauwen (2006: 407) explain that school placement teaching is a laboratory experience, which allows PETE students to ‘try out different ways of teaching, reflect on the outcomes and make modifications accordingly’.…”

“…Amaral-da-Cunha et al (2020) note that PETE students find school placement settings and cooperating teachers very important for their development as teachers. Although we agree with the great potential of school placement courses within PETE, the recontextualising rules we have identified in our study need to be addressed if AfL, as presented in the research literature (or other subject content areas in teacher education), is to transition into the teaching practice of physical education.…”

“…This study shows that a ‘rich task’ cannot only be defined in relation to educational models described in the literature at university (such as AfL), but must also be rooted in the problems that are identified in pedagogic practice – for example, by cooperating teachers in schools. If these tasks are created collaboratively, school placements can become the key worksites (Chambers and Armour, 2012) for laboratory experiences (Behets and Vergauwen, 2006), with PETE students supervised by cooperating teachers and coordinated by teacher educators at the university (Amaral-da-Cunha et al, 2020).…”

“…This explorative working method requires conscious supervision. Thus, Amaral-da-Cunha et al (2020) highlight the importance of the cooperating teachers’ own development as supervisors, involving role performance, pedagogical strategies and relational issues. According to Belton et al (2010), a cooperating teacher programme that gives cooperating teachers an opportunity to offer feedback in line with the PETE students’ curriculum can facilitate such a development.…”

Teaching Game for Understanding (TGfU) Learning Design for Basketball Games in Physical Education

“…Learning physical education focused on lesson planning, resource management, and class organization [1]. To perform the role as a teacher must have challenges in developing pedagogical relationships with other teacher members because physical education teaching is built on a constructive, collaborative, and inquiry premise [2]. Knowledge of subject matter delivered by teachers will build their knowledge with the learning environment.…”