Does teacher thinking match teaching practice? A study of basic science teachers

Objective  To obtain an understanding of basic science medical teachers’ conceptions of learning and their ideas for facilitation of learning. Methods  Teaching staff at a biomedical centre (n = 62) were asked to describe their definitions of learning, their suggestions for how to solve an applied e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical education 2008-02, Vol.42 (2), p.143-151
Main Authors: Laksov, Klara B, Nikkola, Matti, Lonka, Kirsti
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude of Health Personnel
Biological and medical sciences
education
Education, Medical - methods
education, medical, undergraduate/methods
Health participants
Humans
medical
Medical sciences
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Miscellaneous
Perception
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
questionnaires
Science - education
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teaching - methods
Thinking
undergraduate/methods
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Summary:Objective  To obtain an understanding of basic science medical teachers’ conceptions of learning and their ideas for facilitation of learning. Methods  Teaching staff at a biomedical centre (n = 62) were asked to describe their definitions of learning, their suggestions for how to solve an applied educational problem and their intended activities when teaching students. The research was carried out using a questionnaire consisting of open‐ended and fixed‐choice questions. Results  Although 1 in 4 teachers endorsed constructivist conceptions of learning, only 1 in 8 actually reported using activating teaching strategies. Conceptions of learning did not co‐vary with teaching practice. Conclusions  The assumption that conceptions of learning and teaching practice are aligned was challenged. The current questionnaire could be used as an intervention tool for educational development to map whether or not there is a match between teachers’ conceptions and their practice.
ISSN:0308-0110
1365-2923
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2923.2007.02985.x