Thai pre-service science teachers engaging action research during their fifth year internship

As a key element in teacher education programmes, action research is a learning process in which pre-service teachers inquire, reflect on and improve their teaching practices. This qualitative study sought to understand what enhanced or hindered Thai pre-service teachers' action research projec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asia Pacific journal of education 2015-04, Vol.35 (2), p.259-273
Main Authors: Faikhamta, Chatree, Clarke, Anthony
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Research
field experience
Field Experience Programs
Focus Groups
Foreign Countries
Guidance
Internship Programs
Negative Attitudes
Observation
Performance Factors
pre-service teacher
Preservice Teacher Education
Preservice Teachers
Qualitative Research
Reflection
Reflective teaching
Research Tools
School Support
Science teachers
Student Experience
Student Journals
Student Research
Student Surveys
Student Teacher Attitudes
Student teachers
Student Teaching
Teacher education
Teacher Education Programs
Thailand
Time Factors (Learning)
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Summary:As a key element in teacher education programmes, action research is a learning process in which pre-service teachers inquire, reflect on and improve their teaching practices. This qualitative study sought to understand what enhanced or hindered Thai pre-service teachers' action research projects during their student teaching. This study drew upon written reflections, focus-group interviews and observations of seminar sessions. Data analysis was inductive, involving categorical aggregation followed by a search for correspondence and patterns. The results indicated that the pre-service teachers misunderstood action research, and also held a negative attitude toward it, both of which led them to superficial analyses of practice. They struggled with time limitations, data gathering and interpretation strategies. In spite of the struggles they experienced, these pre-service science teachers did learn more about the action research through collaboratively working with cooperating teachers and university supervisors and on-campus seminar discussions held concurrently with the fifth year internship. Recognizing and understanding the reasons and thinking patterns at the root of these teachers' difficulties with learning about action research can form the basis for reflecting on and rethinking the components of science teacher preparation programmes in Thailand.
ISSN:0218-8791
1742-6855
DOI:10.1080/02188791.2013.860011