Theorizing variation theory—a case of collaborative action research involving science teacher candidates

ABSTRACT

Our collaborative action research addresses a challenge in initial teacher education pertaining to the lack of theoretical coherence between teacher candidates’ understandings of teaching and learning. The group comprised of three science teacher candidates (Authors 2 and 3) and a university faculty member (Author 1). Through a loosely adapted learning study approach, we embarked on the process of learning to apply a theoretical lens, i.e. variation theory, to frame lessons taught during the school-based practicum; we focused on the use of variation, which is a pedagogical strategy that is undertheorized in biology education. In this paper, we provided a description and reflection of the theory-framed lessons teacher candidates in our group taught. Data sources included lesson plans and materials, video recordings of lessons, reflections and teacher interviews that promoted further articulation of our experiences of the action research process. By comparing our employment of variation theory to frame lesson planning, classroom teaching and student learning, patterns of variation were reflected upon and theorized through the group process. This expanded our collective understandings about the application of variation theory to biology teaching. The paper thus demonstrates the theoretical work we engaged in as an ongoing and dialectical exploration of practice and theory.

KEYWORDS:

• Theory-practice
• teacher candidates
• teacher research
• variation theory
• learning study
• biology

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Kwesi Yaro for his support of the project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. In this paper, ‘we’ and ‘our’ represent our collaborative experiences, while individual members are addressed in the first person (e.g. Michelle; Joshua; Corey).

2. Pseudonym used. The participant opted to step back from copublishing the paper.

3. Students can be admitted into the ITE (Bachelor of Education) program after obtaining Bachelors, Masters or doctoral degrees.

4. Michelle, the course instructor, was not involved in the assessment of the teachers during the practicum and the study took place only after the course grades were submitted. The research was also compliant with the institution’s research ethics review.

5. Mitosis is a biological process that results in the production of identical cells (with identical genetic material) through the division of cells.

6. Evolution is a biological process involving the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations. We can interpret evolutionary relationships between species through biological diagrams known as phylogentic trees (diagrams that show branching patterns to illustrate evolutionary relationships between organisms).

7. Natural selection is a biological process where organisms better adapted to their environment have higher chances of survival and reproduction.

8. Success here refers to ‘biological success’. In biology, this refers to organisms surviving and passing on their genetic materials to their offspring.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of British Columbia [15R21957].