Connecting Theory and Practice in Teaching

            There seems to be feelings of disconnection between teaching theory and classroom practice, especially among future teachers. Therefore, Dolk and den Hertog (2008) reported that a linkage between theory and practice was being pursued in The Netherlands through the use of reflection. Not only reflection, but also narration and construction were crucial parts in making practice meaningful (Goffree & Dolk, 1995 as cited in Dolk & den Hertog, 2008). In order to achieve this, several multimedia learning environments were created. The multimedia interactive learning environment (MILE) was an example of a computer-based environment containing videos of real primary mathematics practices that could be used to analyze the teaching-learning process.
            They also defined narratives as “a meaning making process in which the narrator tries to make sense of an event using practical wisdom” (Dolk & den Hertog, 2008, p. 217). Narratives are more than a mere description of events; they entail knowledge and interpretation. However, interpretations can vary depending on the observer as it was depicted in the second graders’ example, where a group of student teachers were asked to retell their observations of an episode during a mathematics lesson. With the intention of developing a theoretical framework to transform storytelling into a narrative and allow abstraction, a cyclic process of six steps was outlined: observing; sharing and discussing observations; analyzing; reflecting; developing narrative knowledge; and expanding the personal repertoire and generalizing the situation into a didactic for teacher education (Dolk and den Hertog, 2008).
            The authors ended by showing how teachers’ observations and interpretations differed in the example of the second-grade students. Observations could be verified and interpretations needed to be discussed so as to be demonstrated and supported. They pointed out that “student teachers construct their understanding of teaching not only through personal practical experience, but also through sharing and discussing their constructions with their peers.” (Dolk & den Hertog, 2008, p. 228). The use of multimedia to foster students at teacher colleges to write narratives could be a good method for improving reflection on practice. All in all, it appears to be that efforts are being made so as to bring teaching theory and practice together and encourage future teachers to reflect, analyze, and work in a collaborative fashion with colleagues.



References

Dolk, M., & den Hertog, J. (2008). Narratives in teacher education. Interactive Learning Environments, 16(3), 215-229. doi:10.1080/10494820802113970

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