Introduction
Although much of the literature on teacher education explores in-service teachers’ and teacher educators’ action research (AR), minimal teacher education research examines pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) engagement in AR as well as the relationship between the PST and teacher educator in supporting a positive disposition to AR.
Method
Participants were six physical education PSTs and a physical education teacher-educator who supervised their teaching practice, introduced them to AR and facilitated them through the AR process. Mertler’s (2009) AR cycles (planning, acting, developing and reflecting) guided the phases of this study. Data included (i) audio-taped weekly discussions between the teacher educator and PSTs, (ii) the teacher educator’s field notes, (iii) audio-recorded weekly discussions between the teacher educator and critical friend, and (iv) semi-structured post interviews with PSTs and the teacher educator. Data were analysed qualitatively using the constant comparison approach (Glaser and Strauss, 2012).
Results
Findings indicated that the centrality of a critical friend, the teacher educator sharing her experiences about AR with PSTs, and creating a collaborative and supportive learning environment across AR cycles are three crucial infrastructures of designing an effective AR experience. Strategies (such as peer observation, video-taping of practices, survey use, task cards, open presentation) that were utilized effectively by the teacher educator to facilitate PSTs experiences of AR are shared.
Conclusion
PSTs’ engagement with AR appears to be heightened when the teacher educator parallels and shares their corresponding experience of AR with PSTs. It is therefore important that, if teacher educators are genuinely concerned in introducing PSTs to a meaningful AR experience, they strive to model and share best AR practice.
• Empowering practitioners and supporting professional learning , • Transformative learning and teaching in physical education and sports pedagogy
