Session Information
Contribution
Background The concept affordance is a significant part of James J. Gibson's (1979) theory of ecological psychology, in which the observer and the environment are seen as complementary. The meaningful environmental factors (affordances) conduct the human actions when operating in the operational setting (teaching practise). The affordance is seen here as something that refers both to the environmental factors and the human actions. Using the concept of affordance it is possible to consider both the planned conventions and the random but substantial incidents that steer the practising. In this study these detectable affordances are charted by analyzing the student's teaching practise experiences. Purpose and Research Questions Congested and slowly renewing study-programmes usually offer approved procedures for personal professional growth. Are there covert obstacles in the practise planning that hinder the desirable learning experiences? What kinds of affordances in a practise setting nourish the professional growth? This study was planned to form an introductory framework of the affordances in the teaching practise, which might offer a new insight for the educational planning and curriculum design. The study will proceed later to second phase of a more descriptive-analytic research on student interviews.Method and Data Collection The method of this study was an exploratory survey. Non-probability sampling was used to gain qualitative data when testing this new theoretical viewpoint within two differing teaching practise settings. In this pilot study there were two analytic samples: 1) 75 students of class teacher education; the data was gathered with the feedback form of an advanced teaching practice period (academic year 2005-2006). 2) 15 teacher students in a student exchange teaching practice period; the data was gathered form the final reports of the exchange project (academic years 2004-2006). Findings The preliminary findings show that if the objectives set for the teaching practise are strict and sole, the students fix most of their attention on fulfilling those and are not able to see the affordances available in the practise environment. The widening tutoring in order to expand on the objectives and open the affordances seems to be fairly pointless when the student has already established her understanding of the operational environment and planned and started the teaching. The beforehand adaptation of the student's personal goals to the objectives of the practise and the analysis of the student observations and experiences during the practise seems to help the student to reflect and conceptualise their experiences. Though the more personal learning objectives are recognised and striven, the formal, basic teaching skills are trained as well. Obviously it is the student herself that defines the meaningful incidents of the teaching practise to be the affordances. The guidance is still needed: the equal and dialogic tutoring is most likely to embolden the student to reveal the student specific and meaningful affordances under discussion. Conclusion Taken together, these findings suggest that the teaching practise setting should be designed to challenge the student's thinking and offer them such a practise settings in which the freedom of action is allowed and the affordances are seen as possibilities. It seems that extrinsic steering and external problem setting does not increase student engagement. The findings also suggest that the separate trainees can notice or bypass the same affordances of the practise period. The beforehand tutoring with personal goal setting seems to be profitable for the student to actively review and exploit the potential affordances of the practise environment. Gibson, James J. (1979) The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Boston: Houghton Miffineither national or international journal
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