Preservice Teachers Learning to See and Seeing to Learn

• In Event: Layers of Learning: Working Toward Mediated Praxis by Positioning Researchers, Practitioners, and Students as Learners

Abstract

Objective
This study analyzes shifts in pre-service teachers’ understandings of learning processes as they engage with children over time in informal learning spaces, and reflect on their practice.

Learning to See and Seeing to Learn, a UCLA/UC Links initiative, brings children, pre-service teachers, and researchers together in a “layered” pedagogical structure to explore questions outside the standard practice of teacher education, such as: What are children’s perspectives and experiences as they engage in learning? What can we learn about teaching by looking closely at learning? How can we learn to see children, teaching, learning, culture and community in new ways? This approach is embedded in the belief that by learning to see, apprentice teachers will learn to better understand, respond to and teach to their students.

Theoretical framework
Problems of practice in teacher education stem from equating teacher effectiveness with test scores, and the decoupling of theory and practice—where student teaching does not reinforce the theories with which students are grappling (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2014; Cochran-Smith et al, 2015). Researchers and practitioners have called for creating an educational ethos and practice where teacher learning is linked to pedagogical practice (Gutierrez and Vossoughi, 2010) Uniting a New Childhoods framework (e.g. Stephens, 1995; Thorne, 1993) with sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978), we examine children’s perspectives and understandings and the ways in which such meanings are socially, culturally and historically constructed. We center our attention on children’s thinking and ways of behaving to help pre-service teachers uncover their pedagogical value (Rose, 1989).

Data Sources and methods
Our research examines a “layered” approach to teacher preparation, in which pre-service teachers engage with children in both informal and formal learning environments, plan and conduct activities with youth in an afterschool program, write fieldnotes, and get feedback on their thinking. This process was documented through students’ fieldnotes, reflections and course materials, and videotaping the afterschool program activities. For this paper we analyze two pre-service teachers’ learning processes, and shifts in understandings of key concepts and their participation at the afterschool program. Specifically, we coded fieldnotes from across the year for ways of seeing children, teaching and learning. Analyzing both the notes and videotapes data, we examined how students moved from peripheral to more central participation (Rogoff, 1997), and the challenges encountered in the process.

Results
Our findings center on shifts in preservice teachers’ understandings of teaching as a mediational practice and experimented alternative ways of responding to children, implementing activities engaging questions, and reflection. We highlight tensions participants experienced as they moved from more peripheral to more central participation and the ways they readjusted their “authoritative” stances to include children in planning activities.

Scholarly Significance
Along with other papers on this panel, our work contributes to theorizing about the creation of learning environments that support layered growth and expansive learning for all participants involved. We further contribute to contemporary conversations about the best ways to prepare teachers for working with diverse learners, and push teacher education programs to consider alternatives to the traditional practice.

Authors

• Marjorie Faulstich Orellana, University of California - Los Angeles

• Sarah Jean Johnson, University of California - Los Angeles

• Andrea C. Rodriguez-Scheel, University of California - Los Angeles

• Lilia Rodriguez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Janelle Franco, University of California - Los Angeles