The effect of a training course based on constructivism on student teachers' perceptions of the teaching/learning process

Abstract

To cite this article: Mahmoud Al-Weher (2004) The effect of a training course based on constructivism on student teachers' perceptions of the teaching/learning process, Asia-Pacific This study investigates the effect of a training course, based on constructivism, on the student teachers' perceptions of teaching, learning and the roles of teachers and students in the teachinglearning process. A sample of 188 student teachers (92 of them in the experimental group and 96 in the control group) from the Hashemite University were subjected to a pre-test that was developed and validated for the purpose of the study, and the experimental group was then trained using a four-step training course based on constructivist ideas. Results showed that the two groups' perceptions were not consistent with constructivist ideas before the training took place, but after training, there were signi®cant differences between the two groups' perceptions about the four areas. Also, there were signi®cant differences between the constructivist perceptions of males and females, with females' perceptions being more consistent with constructivist ideas than males. The study concluded with recommendations concerning the introduction of constructivist ideas in educational courses that are designed to prepare student teachers for science teaching, and further research to examine the effect of this course on the student teachers' practices in the classrooms.

An Analysis of the Candidate Teachers’ Beliefs Related to Knowledge, Learning and Teaching

“…The beliefs about how knowledge is obtained vary in terms of being specific to individuals as well as to the education processes that they have had (Al-Weher, 2004). In conducted studies, differentiation in some working groups takes place according to working majors of candidate teachers (Chai, Khine, & Teo, 2006;Eren, 2006) where as there is no differentiation in some groups (Chan, Tan, & Khoo, 2007).…”

An Evaluation of the Suitability of Practices in Teacher Training Programs for the Constructivism Depending on the Teacher Trainees’ Views

“…Oysa Yanpar Şahin'in (2003) araştırmasında olduğu gibi, yapılandırmacı yaklaşımın kullanıldığı öğrenme ortamında öğrencilerin olumlu etkiler algılamaları ve etkin öğrenmenin önemini yansıtmaları beklenir. Yapılandırmacı yaklaşımla eğitim alan öğrencilerin öğrenme-öğretme sürecine ilişkin algılarının farklılaştığı görülmüştür (Al-Weher, 2004). Rainer ve Guyton'un (1999) araştırmasında da öğretmen eğitiminde gerçekleştirilen model yapılandırmacı rollerin ve demokratik uygulamaların öğretmenlerin sınıflarında bunları kullanmalarını etkilediği belirtilmektedir.…”

Diagnosis of Teachers’ Practicein the Teaching of Written Composition

“…Training courses on new approaches can encourage them to talk about new ideas in cooperative groups and to relate theory to practice (Bazarra et al, 2004). In the case of adopting the constructivist approach and implementing its practice in the classroom, for example, by encouraging them to abandon the "spoon feeding" style of teaching in favor of a self-centered learning style and to discourage teacher-centered learning for student-centered learning, or choosing a democratic over an authoritarian style, placing greater emphasis on real and everyday life experiences rather than on approaches based on memorization and discarding traditional methods of evaluation for new methods that allow students to explain what they know or have learnt in different ways (Al-Weher, 2004;Flowers & Monroy, 2008).…”

“…Some examples would be to research: how children learn, how students are motivated and which materials are necessary to make learning concepts more interesting for the students, the teacher-student interaction, whether real life examples stimulate students to study specific concepts, why students have problems with certain concepts or skills in certain areas, etc. According to the studies reviewed, the implications derived in terms of what teachers think and believe allow us to conclude that these teachers should be better prepared as regards the what, where and how of research in education (Al-Weher, 2004;Sierra et al, 2009). …”