For Q&A Session
Prof Sarah Gravett University of Johannesburg
Overview 1. Background and rationale 2. Exploring possible avenues to support development of adaptive expertise in teacher education 3. Centrality of deliberate practice 4. Lesson design 5. Using mixed reality simulation (MRS) in relation to improving preservice teachers’ understanding of and proficiency in utilising questioning as a core teaching practice 6. Concluding remarks
How can we ensure that teacher education graduates are equipped to adapt to changing conditions in schools in a world characterised by increasing complexity and unpredictability? Adaptive expertise?
Exploring possible (new) avenues Lesson design (invoking principles derived from the science of learning) Learning the core teaching practice of questioning (using mixed reality simulation as an approximation of practice) Current research projects Researchers: Sarah Gravett, Dean van der Merwe, Sarita Ramsaroop, Pamela Tshabalala, Casey Bremner and Pumzile Mello Framing our work: Why the science of learning and the science of expertise? Why a focus on questioning as a core teaching practice and using MRS? Central organising principle rooted in child study
Adaptive expertise Most cited paper: Hatano and Inagaki (1986). Distinguish between two types of experts in the school setting, “routine” experts and “adaptive” experts. Adaptive expertise: Ability to apply (transfer) knowledge and skills in a flexible manner to new situations and to solve complex and unfamiliar problems. Teachers who are adaptive experts have developed metacognitive awareness – prompts them to continually self-assess their performance and to monitor why and under which conditions certain approaches are apt, or why and when new teaching approaches are required. Hatano G., Inagaki K. (1984). Two Courses of Expertise. Research and Clinical Center for Child Development, Annual Report, 6. Available online at: http://hdl.handle.net/2115/25206
Adaptive expertise Three key facets of adaptive expertise (Carbonell et al, 2014) important for teacher education and our research: • Encompasses the foundational elements of routine expertise. • Involves heightened metacognitive skills and awareness compared with routine expertise. • Is characterised by attributes such as flexibility, innovation, commitment to continuous learning, a penchant for tackling challenges, and creativity. Carbonell, K.B.; Stalmeijer, R.E.; Könings, K.D.; Segers, M.; van Merriënboer, J.J.G. 2024. How experts deal with novel situations: A review of adaptive expertise. Educ. Res. 12, 14–29.
Deliberate practice – crucial for developing adaptive expertise Crucial for fostering adaptive expertise. At its core, deliberate practice involves: • Purposefully engaging in goal-directed activities aimed at improving and consciously elevating current performance levels • Within a supportive learning environment, allowing for gradual refinement through repeated rehearsal, complemented by feedback, guidance, analysis, and reflection. Deans for Impact (2016). Practice with Purpose: The Emerging Science of Teacher Expertise. Austin, TX: Deans for Impact. Ericsson, K.A.; Pool, R. Peak. (2016). Secrets from the New Science of Expertise; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Ericsson, K.A.; Charness, N.; Feltovich, P.J.; Hoffman, R.R. (2012). The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance; Cambridge University Press
Framing the lesson design approach (and the research) Lesson design approach framed by three interrelated educational convictions • Lesson design that requires student teachers to explain the rationale for their planning decisions could assist pre-service teachers to develop the foundational elements of adaptive expertise • Deliberate practice is important for supporting the development of teachers as adaptive experts • Because teaching is first and foremost about enabling learning, the development of adaptive expertise should be interlinked with a thorough understanding of the nature of learning and the learning process (the science of learning).
Designing significant learning experiences for learners Content knowledge and curriculum knowledge Principles derived from the science of learning Teaching practices (and techniques), e.g. Open questions Attention focusing activities Small group work Assessment for learning tasks Development of adaptive expertise An inquiring and metacognitive stance Deliberate practice A framework for lesson design Chapters 1, 2 and 3 https://www.uj.ac.za/faculties/education/free-book-download-teaching-for-learning-in-a-fast-changing-world/
Research question What and how did student teachers learn from implementing a lesson design approach that draws on principles derived from the science of learning? Interpretive research approach Data collected via semi-structured interviews – 15 students 2020 and 2021 cohort Triangulation of data sources – interview data was tested against lessons designed by students Note – more comprehensive research conducted – see e.g., chapter: Lesson design in pre-service teacher education: a learning-centred approach. Sarah Gravett, Dean van der Merwe, and René Levinge-Lang https://www.routledge.com/Future-Proofing-TeacherEducation-Voices-from-South-Africa-and-Beyond/GravettPetersen/p/book/9781032028507
Findings Student teachers developed a solid understanding of the nature of learning and the learning process and why such an understanding is important Student teachers learned that designing lessons that invoke principles derived from the science of learning literature requires deep thinking about how to best support learning Student teachers are of the view that knowledge of how learning happens will serve them well in varying school contexts Designing a lesson in iterations coupled with feedback and practice deepened student teachers’ understanding of lesson design that aims to place student learning central
Lesson design: Adaptive expertise fostered? Students required to adopt an inquiring and metacognitive stance when designing lessons: • Using inquiry (guided mainly by why, how, and when questions) to deepen their thinking about teaching practices and decisions • Articulating the rationale of the planned teaching decisions in relation to principles derived from the science of learning literature —making their thinking explicit. Thus, required to put inquiry, coupled with metacognition (thinking about their thinking) to work when designing lessons. We argued that bringing such a stance to play would go a long way to laying the basis for the continued development of adaptive expertise.
Lesson design: Adaptive expertise fostered? Deliberate practice Iterative and cyclic way in which the lesson design process unfolded: 1) Design the “introduction” 2) Design the “body” and a revised version of the “introduction” (incorporating feedback received), 3) Modified version of the introduction and body (incorporating feedback received), 4) Design the “consolidation” phase and refining it (incorporating feedback received) 4) Final cycle: self-assessment of whole lesson and refine entire lesson. Practice and reflection sessions (involving approximately 15 student teachers per group and one teacher educator) throughout the lesson design process. Feedback, self-assessment, refining – thus – continuous and deliberate practice. Sessions also engaged student teachers in the deliberate practice of specific teaching practices related to the science of learning principles.
Lesson design: Adaptive expertise fostered? We believe that: • the student teachers constructed a sufficient knowledge base of the principles derived from the science of learning to inform thoughtful lesson design and, by implication, teaching. • the knowledge that students gained about the principles was organized in a way that will facilitate application to various situations. According to Carbonell et al. (2014), the knowledge representation for adaptive expertise “in terms of organization, abstraction, and consolidation, is de-contextualization, weakening the link between situation and solution” (p. 20). This was noted by the students—that the principles can be used in varying contexts (the principles are transferable). Claim with some confidence: Students developed the beginnings of adaptive expertise.
Research question: What affordances does the utilisation of mixed reality simulation (MRS) hold for improving preservice teachers’ understanding of and proficiency in utilising questioning as a core teaching practice? MRS for teacher education leverages a blend of artificial intelligence and live actors to replicate the dynamics of a real classroom. Used as an approximation of practice
Each cycle comprised two sessions focusing on specific aspects of questioning A teacher educator (the coach) and other students observed and documented strengths and areas for improvement A brief reflection session, allowing for reflection on action - directly after the MRS session A week later - a 30-minute online coaching session aimed at addressing areas requiring improvement Students revised the lesson segment and presented it again in a next MRS session. Students delivered segments of lessons to learner avatars in the simulator over five cycles. Thus, each lesson segment was presented twice.
A qualitative research approach
Findings MRS created a beneficial setting for preservice teachers to purposefully practise and refine specific questioning techniques Using MRS created a low-risk, low-stress learning environment that was conducive to improvement Combining MRS with coaching sessions allowed preservice teachers to pinpoint areas where they lacked comprehension and proficiency in utilizing questioning as a core teaching practice Using coaching sessions alongside MRS sessions stimulated both individual and collaborative (group) reflection with peers, leading to incremental improvement
MRS and learning the core teaching practice of questioning. Adaptive expertise fostered? Deliberate practice • Focusing on the specific goal of improving a single core teaching practice - questioning. • Invoking students’ “learning edges” – building on existing knowledge and skill, but requiring refined enactment. • High-quality feedback that required them to make adjustments. • Supported to construct mental models of effective questioning as a core teaching practice. These mental models improved their ability to think critically and logically about the act of questioning, enabling them to monitor and evaluate their own performance and adapt their assumptions and actions accordingly. • Continuous learning is an important aspect of adaptive expertise, and students’ willingness to seek and receive feedback was evident throughout.
MRS and learning the core teaching practice of questioning. Adaptive expertise fostered? Heightened metacognitive awareness Reflecting in action during the MRS sessions and making real-time adjustments based on the avatar learner responses Reflection on action inspired by having observed their peers and the feedback provided during coaching sessions. Reflection for action contemplating how to adapt their teaching in the future. Reflection for action involves anticipating potential challenges and planning for these. The reflection exhibited by the students is akin to metacognitive awareness and monitoring, which are crucial for the development of adaptive expertise. To cultivate adaptive experts capable of effectively applying their knowledge in diverse contexts, teacher preparation programmes must teach “how-to”, “why” and “when” in an integrated manner. Using MRS as an approximation of practice (coupled with coaching) enabled that. We claim with some confidence that using MRS as an approximation of practice provided a “learningplace” for fostering the early stages of adaptive expertise development.
Concluding remarks Lesson design (invoking principles derived from the science of learning) Learning the core teaching practice of questioning (using mixed reality simulation as an approximation of practice) Current research projects Promising for fostering development of adaptive expertise in teacher education
Thank you and some images from UJ
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