TDG – Sustaining Student Teachers’ Professional Knowledge Base through Learning Study

Abstract

The objectives of the project are: (1) to help student teachers develop professional competence of conducting action research (i.e. learning study in this case) to facilitate the development of critical inquiry in education and life-long learning; (2) to enhance professional learning of student teachers through professional communication and collaboration with other student teachers in a learning community; and (3) to collect data and evidence on the ways to reform the preservice teacher education offered by our Faculty. To this end, a curriculum innovation grounded in the learning study model was carried out in the PGDE Economics Major Methods Course. Full-time and part-time student teachers formed theory of variation-framed learning study groups and worked collaboratively to improve pupil learning. Through a web-based platform, they shared and reflected on their experiences of conducting action research on their practices and engaged in professional communication and collaboration with their peers. Most student teachers involved were found to have developed analytical awareness to scrutinize their own practices and thus improve their pedagogical capability. This innovative model of developing the professional learning of student teachers was disseminated to our HKU colleagues as well as local and international teacher educators and researchers through seminars and conference presentations.

Deliverables