From action to understanding – student teachers’ learning and practical reasoning during teaching practice

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a study where student teachers’ practical reasoning and the development of professional knowledge were investigated during teaching practice in pre-service class teacher education. The model of student teachers’ supervision applying the philosophy and principles of the practical argument approach was used in the study and data collection. In this model practical argument premises can be situational, empirical, stipulative or they can be based on value assessments. The videos of student teachers’ lessons, stimulated recall interviews and critical incidents, were used in order to grasp the situationality and contextuality of the classroom reality. Results show that student teachers mainly expressed situational and empirical premises in their practical argumentation. Stipulative and value premises were also present, but to a lesser degree. During the process, the student teachers developed their arguments from situational and empirical premises towards new value premises and reflections on the stipulative premises guiding their work.