This presentation will focus on a current research study which asked Bachelor of Education students to evaluate their preparedness to teach Alberta language arts curriculum to elementary students while in their practicum. This research project was developed as our faculty implemented a new Bachelor of Education program with new curriculum. This was done to best meet the needs of the teaching community and our preservice teachers.
The methodology used for this study was designed-based research which allowed for rich and detailed feedback, while supporting the use of this feedback in the refinement and redesign of the course curriculum (Anderson & Shattuck, 2012). Preservice teachers in the third and fourth year of their degree program were interviewed through focus group meetings. They were asked to provide feedback about their experience using teaching strategies and theories learned in their language arts curriculum courses. As a recursive component of this project, the post-secondary curriculum courses will then be assessed to evaluate where or if changes need to be made.
Although this presentation focuses on Bachelor of Education students, the study is universally applicable to any post-secondary program. As we prepare our students for their professions or further studies, we all want to ensure that our courses meet both the students’ needs as well as the application in the work world. This study is an example of the way that we can solicit feedback and then apply it directly to our teaching.
The thematic analysis of the results will be shared as well as directions for curricular changes for post-secondary courses.
References
Anderson, T. & Shattuck, J. (2012). Designed-based research: A decade of progress in education research? Educational Researcher, 41(1), 16-25.
Sherry Woitte, Ph.D. is an instructor at Medicine Hat College in the Bachelor of Education program. She has been teaching in post-secondary education since 1991 and has had varied teaching experiences over the last 25 years.
