ERIC Number: EJ804866
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Mar
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0312-5033
EISSN: N/A
Troubling Teaching
Stephenson, Alison
Australian Journal of Early Childhood, v31 n1 p51-55 Mar 2006
In our early childhood teacher education program the young child is positioned as a competent and resourceful participant in his/her own learning. Reflection on this image led me to recognise that some aspects of tertiary institutions mean students themselves can be positioned as less empowered learners. As a result of this recognition, new methods of learning/teaching have been employed in a course that focuses on extending students' teaching practices and their skills in reflecting, in an attempt to reposition students as co-constructors of their own knowledge. Strategies used over the past four years include student participation in decisions about content and assessment criteria; cooperative group-work; jigsaw reading tasks; weekly reflective journals; and audio taping, transcribing and reflecting on my own teaching. In order to include a student perspective, students' comments on the process from end-of-course evaluations are included.
Descriptors: Teacher Education Programs, Early Childhood Education, Student Participation, Preschool Teachers, Teaching Methods, Reflective Teaching, Knowledge Base for Teaching, Participative Decision Making, Journal Writing, Student Journals, Course Content, Cooperative Learning, Evaluation Methods, Student Teacher Attitudes, Preservice Teacher Education, Foreign Countries
Early Childhood Australia. P.O. Box 7105, Watson, ACT 2602, Australia. Tel: +61-2-6242-1800; Fax: +61-2-6242-1818; e-mail: publishing@earlychildhood.org.au; Web site: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Higher Education
Audience: Students; Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A