Mentors’ use of a combined tool of question templates and student teachers’ video clips to enhance reflection and professional development

• In Event: Innovations in Nordic Teacher Education: Examples of integrating Digital Technologies for innovations

Abstract

In mentoring of student teachers, giving feedback and encourage reflection are at the core of mentors’ task. Reflection in education is situated and autonomous (Schön, 1983; Zeichner, 1996), and makes an important link between theoretical and practical knowledge. Furthermore, reflection and feedback are important scaffolding components for continuous professional development (Lejonberg et al., 2015; Lillejord & Børte, 2017). Video has been used for some time in teacher education, and has the potential to enhance student teachers’ professional development (Bjørndahl & Mathisen, 2017; Körkkö et. al 2019; Goldman 2007; Santanaga, Zannoni & Stigler, 2007). However, many find that video alone is not sufficient, and advocates the need for additional tools to contribute to student teachers’ reflection and autonomy (Mosley Wetzel, Maloch & Hoffmann, 2017). Mentors play an important role in this process (Rich & Hannafin , 2008). The effort and experience of student teachers with the help of a school based mentor, is seen as crucial to the development of the skills and knowledge needed for teachers (Helms- Lorenz, Slof, & van de Grift, 2013; Hobson, Ashby, Malderez, & Tomlinson, 2009). However, practical training for student teachers may be perceived as arbitrary and guided by the particular mentor’s own professional judgment and values (Skagen, 2016).This study looks upon how mentor’s use of a combined tool of question templates and video clips can structure her work to enhance reflection, and facilitate student teachers’ professional development. Following questions are posed:
What are the mentors’ experiences of mentoring student teachers using video clips and question templates as a combined tool?
How do mentors’ use of video clips and question templates as a combined tool facilitate student teachers’ reflection?
The study was conducted in a practical training period of eight consecutive weeks, including observations of mentoring sessions, video clips and interviews with five purposeful sampled (Patton, 1990) mentors with two mentees each. The student teachers chose the video clip using a guide, mentors conducted sessions with a set of questions from a guidance book developed by the author with questionstargeted to elicit reflections from the student teachers on their own teaching, and gathering feedback from their pupils, peers and mentor.
The presentation of preliminary findings suggests how mentors find the use of the same video clip with different actors, pupils and peers, enhance the quality of the student teachers’ reflection and allows for different entrances to the same challenges. Focusing on a set of questions and a particular video clip promotes focus on the actual teaching itself. The generic questions in the templates target generic skills like classroom management, and makes the students’ experiences from one classroom and one subject easier to transfer to a different classroom and subject. A discussion of how and if this pilot could be introduced as standard in teacher education will be initiated, pointing to possible pitfalls and challenges.

Author

• Tove Seiness Hunskaar, University of Oslo, Department of Tecaher Education and School Research