Developing deep learning approaches and personal teaching efficacy within a preservice teacher education context

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Teacher Education
• Learning Sciences

Background:

• Student learning approaches significantly impact academic outcomes, with deep approaches being more favorable.
• Previous interventions to promote deep learning have yielded inconsistent results, often requiring extensive course redesign.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of contextual modifications on preservice teacher education students' learning approaches.
• To enhance students' use of deep learning approaches and decrease surface learning approaches.
• To improve students' personal teaching efficacy through enhanced learning quality.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal quasi-experimental design involving three cohorts (N=134) of preservice teacher education students.
• Implementation of contextual modifications in teaching methods, task requirements, and assessment for treatment groups.
• Repeated measures using validated questionnaires on learning approaches and teacher efficacy, alongside an action research paradigm.

Main Results:

• Modifications effectively reduced students' use of surface learning approaches and subsequently increased their use of deep learning approaches.
• Both treatment and control groups showed comparable improvements in teaching efficacy.
• Distinct differences emerged in the factors influencing personal teaching efficacy between cohorts at the study's conclusion.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully improved teaching and learning quality within the teacher education program, aligning with learning approach theory.
• While specific modifications may not be universally transferable, the process of developing these changes holds broader applicability for educational settings.
• The findings support the efficacy of targeted contextual adjustments in fostering deeper learning and professional development in preservice teachers.