Yang, Bo-Chih; (2012) Supporting the professional learning of student teachers of primary education : the teaching practice period in Taiwan. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.

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Abstract

This study explores the learning experience of twenty primary school student teachers undertaking teaching practice in Taiwan. It aims to answer two research questions: (1) Which factors enhance or hinder the professional learning of Taiwanese student teachers during their teaching practice?, and (2) How do these factors influence their development as beginning teachers and their broader learning experience? These two key research questions are explored using three approaches: sociological, reflective, and developmental. This research is based on case studies from a particular context and time, and is restricted to the learning experience of twenty student teachers undertaking teaching practice in Taiwan. The field-work consists of interviews, critical incident interpretation and reflective journals, which together provide a thick description of the student teachers' learning experience. The analysis is based on an overview of the learning experiences of all twenty student teachers and their mentors, with a particular emphasis on two individual case studies followed by a cross-case study. The overview is used to explore the process of professional development and to identify the factors which improve or hamper the learning of student teachers, while the three studies are employed to examine the process of socialisation and the reflective practice of student teachers. I conclude that the setting of the teaching practice period in Taiwan improves the professional learning of student teachers. However, not all student teachers benefit from the setting, because a combination of factors such as personal dispositions, interactions with mentors and school leadership can hinder their learning. The implications of the study have led to five recommendations about the nature of support for student teachers, the time needed to learn how to behave like a teacher and the structure of the teaching practice. These are discussed in detail in the final chapter.

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