Discomfort as a means of pre-service teachers’ professional development – an action research as part of the ‘Research Literacy’ course

Abstract

This paper focus on defining a research question while conducting action research among third-year students attending a course on Research Literacy at a teacher education college. This paper discusses the process of preparing for and conducting action research among third-year students attending a course on Research Literacy at a teacher education college. The students were asked to conduct an action research on their classroom activities. The aim of this article is to present the process and pinpointing the discomfort of the students in formulating a research question suited to action research thanks to two prerequisite conditions: the ‘safe space’ and the ‘tender spot’. The research findings illustrate that the students had difficulty defining their ‘tender spot’. It was necessary to create a ‘safe space’. Furthermore, the findings show that the ‘tender spot’ issues were associated with disciplinary content far more than with generic lesson management or classroom management issues. The approach discussed here is leading to positive change and it may be that this professional development tool can facilitate the induction of novice teachers everywhere.

Keywords:

• Teacher researchers
• professional development
• teaching practice
• experiential learning
• pre-service teacher education

Notes

1. In 2010, there was a reform in the curriculum for teacher professional preparation in Israel known as the Ariav Guidelines, which defined two components for professional development of teachers. One was the component of education and teaching studies and the other was the practical work. Included in the study component is research literacy for education and teaching, incorporating tools for teachers' professional development such as: reading and understanding research and the ability to conduct teacher research (eg action research, case studies, evaluation research, surveys). The guidelines define teachers as lifelong learners who research their own work.