Learning to Notice Practice: Valuing Partner Teacher Knowledge in a Mediated Field Experience

• In Event: Varying Perspectives on the Development of Preservice Teachers Through Field Experience

Abstract

This study examined a secondary mathematics methods course that was partially located in an urban public school and how this hybrid structure supported teacher candidate learning about progressive teaching practices in mathematics. Activities within the Mediated Field Experience (MFE) were co-planned and co-facilitated by partner classroom teachers and university instructors. Using concepts from Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the MFE was conceptualized as a hybrid activity setting that worked to bridge the coursework-fieldwork gap by drawing on multiple forms of knowledge. Findings indicated that the high level of participation from the partner teachers and the mediated and structured classroom observations supported teacher candidates in their ability to notice and make sense of complex teaching practices and classroom interactions.

Author

• Sara Sunshine Campbell, The Evergreen State College