Browsing by Author "Nikkanen, Anna"

Objectives. The aim of this study is to find out what kind of conceptions of teaching can be found among university teachers and how their conceptions change during pedagogical training. The research questions of the study are: 1) What kind of conceptions of teaching university teachers have at the beginning of the pedagogical training? 2) What kind of conceptions of teaching university teachers have at the end of the pedagogical training? 3) What kind of narratives can be identified concerning teachers' conceptions of teaching from the beginning of pedagogical studies until the end of the studies? What is the role of earlier experiences as a student, teaching history and teaching traditions of the discipline in the narratives of the teachers? Methods. The data of the study consists of interviews of six university teachers which are conducted at the beginning of pedagogical training in 2003-2004 and reports of practical training which are written after a practical training period in 2009-2010. In this study the primary method is an abductive content analysis and Kember's (1997) categorization of conceptions of teaching is used to identify the conceptions of teaching. Narrative analysis is used when examining the change in conceptions of teaching, and the role of earlier experiences as a student, teaching history and teaching traditions of the discipline. Results and conclusions. Individual teacher's conceptions could be located in many categories, such as Kember's (1997) teacher centered/content oriented, student centered/learning oriented or transitional conception categories. Also some new categories of conceptions were identified. In the teachers' narratives, either change in conceptions or strengthening of conceptions of teaching was recognized. Teachers' earlier experiences as a student, teaching history and teaching traditions of the discipline seemed to direct teachers' teaching practices at the beginning of the studies. Based on these findings, it can be suggested that during the pedagogical training university teachers' conceptions of teaching change. The practical training period in a new teaching environment seems to promote many learning experiences which are usually related to student centered/learning oriented or transitional categories of conceptions of teaching.