Encouraging Development of Active Learning Experiences Improves Education and Teacher Self-Efficacy

Environmental literacy, an outcome of environmental education, is how an individual understands the natural environment and could influence his or her environmental behaviors. Teacher preparation programs help teachers know how to teach EE and thereby promote environmental literacy among their students. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is when teachers know how to teach about a specific subject matter, and includes both knowledge of content and teaching practices. According to research, training for preservice teachers (PSTs) should encourage PSTs to engage and reflect on PCK, and intentionally planning course activities toward PCK development. PCK helps teachers turn knowledge about a subject into learning experiences based on how teachers understand the needs of students. Higher PCK can also contribute to self-efficacy in teachers, known as teacher efficacy, or the belief that they can help their students achieve learning outcomes. However, not all teacher preparation programs include similar training in EE, and some curricula could improve their use of PCK to frame the teaching program. This study investigated how the structure of a general methods course for PSTs could support PCK development and how it could improve teaching efficacy in PSTs. Researchers also considered how PSTs may benefit from learning in a community setting to facilitate bonding and a positive exchange of ideas.

This study gathered data from participants in a course about general methods for pedagogy that was part of an undergraduate education degree program in the United States. Twenty-six PSTs in their junior year were enrolled in the course. Participants ranged in age from 18-22, and the majority were Caucasian and female. The course involved lesson planning, reflection and feedback as strategies to develop PCK, and it asked the PSTs to create lessons based on activities. The units the students developed were analyzed to see which addressed EE standards and then these were examined using a reporting tool to identify evidence of PCK. PCK components included 1) knowledge of science curriculum, 2) knowledge of students, 3) knowledge of assessment of science learning, 4) orientations to teaching science, and 5) knowledge of instructional strategies and representations. PSTs were surveyed at the beginning and end of the methods course. The researchers used statistics to measure changes in teaching efficacy among participants.

Overall, the study indicated that it was important to emphasize the science PCK components in this teacher preparation program. The researchers found that learning experiences related to science PCK became more accessible once the PCK components were identified. Communities for PSTs built teacher confidence and self-efficacy.

All of the course units that addressed EE were found to include one or more activities from the 5 components of PCK. The analysis showed that all PSTs addressed student diversity as part of the course design and also developed activity-driven lessons, which engages students by allowing them to perform work themselves. Half of these lessons were hands-on, giving students a more active role in learning, even though the course used inquiry-based strategies, which employs questions and problems to teach students. The lessons included illustrations and explanations that were framed by core concepts and questions.

The learning community in the course also provided a supportive group that encouraged reflection and feedback among PSTs. The learning experiences became more visible because of the identification of the PCK components. This study also found that PSTs reported improved teacher efficacy and outcome expectancy, which refers to how an individual believes that certain behavior will lead to specific outcomes, as they developed PCK. This change could be attributed to the course being directed toward collaboration and conversation. Mutual engagement was critical in the community of practice, because the reflective and social components of the learning experience enhanced development of PCK and therefore teacher efficacy. The focus on EE content added to this development, which is supported by having a shared set of resources that the teachers used.

This study only included a small number of participants and did not compare participant PSTs to those in another course. Results may be different in another location with different PSTs, and the researchers cannot conclude improved PST learning was only due to the course structure in the study. Additionally, the PSTs likely developed PCK that addressed general science concepts, but probably not specifically PCK related to the environment. Given their methods, the researchers had difficulty distinguishing between the general and topic level development. Further studies about how PSTs turn content into PCK when they are creating their curricula would also provide a greater understanding of the development of PCK.

The authors recommend that courses for PSTs develop PCK components through course activities and that faculty intentionally cultivate learning communities and incorporate reflection and feedback. The researchers also recommend that these results be considered for teachers at the elementary level. Identifying the PCK components beforehand would make the PSTs more likely to address them and create a more inclusive learning experience.