Videopapers – an attempt to narrow the notorious gap between theory and practice in teacher education

Abstract

Student teachers often complain about the lack of relevance of the theoretical courses in teacher education, and they repeatedly stress the importance of the practicum as the most significant component in preparation for teaching. However, most teacher educators, as well as students themselves, recognise the importance of being well informed about educational theory which provides them with a better understanding of the professional responsibilities as teachers. Moreover, a sound theoretical knowledge base combined with the mastery of practical teaching skills determines teachers' actions when professional decisions are made. The challenge for teacher educators is to support students in making relevant links between practice and theory so they see the relevance of both for full exploration of their teacher education, and seek support and understanding in the theory when engaging in teaching as fully qualified practitioners. In an attempt to narrow the notorious gap between theory and practice in teacher education, videopapers were introduced in the curriculum of the one‐year post‐graduate teaching certificate course at the University of Bergen, Norway. This small case study (n = 6) reports preliminary findings from the innovative approach.

Keywords:

• teacher educators
• videopaper
• student teachers
• syllabus
• digital competence