Abstract
This chapter examines how the use of a descriptive observation tool mediates post-lesson conversations that teacher educators and mentor teachers have with preservice teachers. Our principal focus was to investigate the effects of the use of evidence-informed lesson observations in combination with a dialogic approach, as the basis for feedback on teaching practice and student learning. An interpretive case study approach was designed to investigate how mentor teachers and teacher educators used the observation tool. The findings provided data about the effects the tool had on the dispositions of the participants towards collecting and interrogating classroom evidence and how these impacted on their post-lesson conversations with preservice teachers.
Preliminary findings suggested that some mentor teachers found it difficult to use description rather than judgement when discussing teaching and learning. This diminished opportunities for the construction and interrogation of professional reasoning in post-lesson discussions. Later findings, however, indicated that the use of the descriptive observation tool for the recording of evidence-informed observations fostered an inquiring and collaborative stance in post-lesson reviews. Collaborations of this nature, between mentor teachers and preservice teachers, provided the preservice teachers with greater agency during the professional dialogue and enhanced their capacity to reflect on their teaching.
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Acknowledgement
This project was supported by the Department of Education and Training, Victoria, Australia, as one of the 12 projects supported by the Teaching Academies for Professional Practice (TAPP) in 2015–2017. This Victorian state-funded initiative aims to improve initial teacher education across a broad geographical cluster. The authors wish to acknowledge the funding provided through the TAPP (North-East Melbourne cluster).
Ethics
In accordance with the University of Melbourne’s guidelines for human ethics, all participants were informed that their participation in the research was voluntary and that they could withdraw without penalty at any time. Participants were also assured that their private data would be guarded securely and that their identity would remain anonymous. Participants were made aware of the research aims through plain language statements and gave their signed consent to have their data contribute to the study.
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Kriewaldt, J., Nash, M., Windsor, S., Thornton, J., Reid, C. (2018). Fostering Professional Learning Through Evidence-Informed Mentoring Dialogues in School Settings. In: Kriewaldt, J., Ambrosetti, A., Rorrison, D., Capeness, R. (eds) Educating Future Teachers: Innovative Perspectives in Professional Experience. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5484-6_10
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