Attempts to develop practical teaching skills in teacher training： Through core initiatives of design, practice and reflection in Health and Physical Education Teaching Methods C

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness and issues of an initiative centered on design, practice, and reflection as an attempt to develop practical teaching skills in teacher training that incorporates the knowledge-construction Jigsaw method. The subjects of this study were 93 students (36 elementary education majors, 55 secondary education health and physical education majors, and 2 special needs majors) who took Health and Physical Education Teaching Methods C offered at A University in 2021, 2021, and 2023. Using the Jigsaw method, the students carried out expert activities related to 1) unit structure, 2) learning knowledge and skills, 3) learning attitudes, and 4) learning thinking, judgment, and expression, and then communicated these activities to their own groups. Following these activities, they planned and conducted their own pre-mock lessons and mock lessons, which were peer-evaluated and reflected upon. The results of the analysis of the “Practical Teaching Ability Checklist” answered by the students before the first class and after the last class revealed the followings. 1) in terms of attitudes toward the teaching profession, the points for “I want to be a teacher,” “I feel like I can become a teacher,” “I’m suited to being a teacher,” and “difficulty of teaching” increased, while the points for “anxiety about teaching” and “difficulty of becoming a teacher” decreased, but no significant change was observed. 2) significant improvements were seen in self-evaluation of lesson design, practice, and reflection. 3) from the free descriptions on the sheet, reflections from multiple perspectives were described, such as understanding of how to plan lessons based on the curriculum guidelines, learning about practical skills from peer evaluations, and findings from the mock lessons. From the above, it can be said that the lesson development incorporating the planned and practiced knowledge-construction jigsaw method was effective in promoting learning in lesson design, practice, and reflection. It is necessary, however, to continue improving the lessons and further consider ways to more effectively improve practical teaching skills through the 15 lessons, such as time allocation, improvements to the jigsaw tool, and how to conduct mock lessons