1 The kindergarten student teachers’ study and learning in the Finnish integrated teacher education Anneli Niikko Professor, Teacher education department in Savonlinna University of Joensuu

2 The different views of learning 1) The behaviorist view of learning 2) The constructivist view of learning 3) The socio-constructivist view of learning

3 1) The behaviorist view of learning  Knowledge of the world is acquired by a process in which the sensory organs first detect stimuli in the external world  Learning begins when we are exposed to new things which the external conditions that affect person’s learning and motivation are brought under control, so that socially desirable goals may be achieved  The most powerful teaching technique is a direct instruction.  The teacher directs and manages learning process and students are the objects of a teacher’s action

4 2) The constructivist view of learning  At present the most central learning theories are cognitive and from it “refined” constructivism  Knowledge of the world is acquired by a process in which order is imposed by the human mind on the data that the senses provide, not merely detected in them  Knowledge does not transfer, but the learner constructs it. The learner selects and interprets information and analyzes it from the base of her or his earlier knowledge  Learning’s primary origin in the interaction of the subject’s activity with that of the objective world  Constructivist teaching means that lectures should be accompanied by assignment in which learners must reflect on and use the information given them in the lectures.

5 3) The socio-constructivist view of learning  Knowledge is derived from the socially orientated interchanges.  Social context is an integrated part of the learning activity and the learner constructs his or her knowledge through social interaction. The situations in which we learn and the way how we learn affect what we learn and how we transfer it into new situations.  Reality is constructed culturally with the participants, but each participant interpret it in own way, based on the previous experiences and values.  In social learning process the teacher helps students to learn new skills with learning environment’s assistance  Students test their own understanding against learning environment and advanced peers.

6 The methodological solutions 1) The purpose of the study 2) The students and the context of the study 3) The nature of the study, the collection of data and it’s analysis

7 1) The purpose of the study  The purpose of this study is inquire the kindergarten student teachers’ experiences and conceptions of study and learning at the end of the study (Bachelor degree). The study questions are:  a) What kind of experiences the students have of their study and learning in integrated teacher education?  c) What kind of learning views the students’ study and learning represent?

8 2) The students and their study context  The integrated teacher education is the part of University of Joensuu and it situates in Savonlinna city where are about thousand inhabitants.  In the integrated teacher education there study about 800 – 1000 students.  In the kindergarten teacher education study 32 students each academic year (for three year program about 100 students).  The kindergarten teacher education is one of four the training programs. The others are class teacher, home economic and handy graft and design programs. The class teacher students are the largest group.  The curricula of four teacher training have been integrated as much as possible and the students participate in same courses cross training programs. Early childhood education courses, seminars and student teaching are unconnected

9 3) The nature of the study, the collection of data and it’s analysis  The study is qualitative, case study and evaluative inquiry.  The study group consists of eight (8) students (7 women and 1 man)  The data was collected with open ended questions using internet as help.  As the analysis method it has been used phenomenographic approach, where it has been interested in the variation and how people experience phenomena around their world

10 The results 1) The students’ experiences of the study and learning in the integrated teacher education 2) The students’ experiences of the study in the kindergarten teacher education 3) Learning views of the students’ learning

11 1) The students’ experiences of the study and learning in the integrated teacher education  Mainly the students had experienced their study affirmatively in the following things: small and nice campus, modern it-equipment, good atmosphere, motivated teachers and socially everybody knows each These things had made their study rewarding, inspiring and challenging and on some way easy.  On the other side the students’ negative experienced had associated with the place of the institution, the size of city. and modest student-life. Also the negative things were: that everybody knows each other; they had not got enough support. Lessons were integrated with class and subject student teachers. The kindergarten teacher education had weak status and value among the class and subject teacher educations. The kindergarten student teachers had low position and some teacher educators considered their capability to learn things at university.  The students experienced negatively also some teacher educators’ poor teaching quality and their ignorance and low interest of early childhood education  Also the study had been loading and had not divided regularly

12 2) The students’ experiences of the study in the kindergarten teacher education  Study in the kindergarten teacher education had given a good ground for their later study.  They had learnt pedagogical and professional subjects and skills which were important for themselves and meaningful to learn. They had learnt to analyze to things and to reflect their own personal and professional growth when they had to do it.  The students experienced very positively when in their study it had been emphasized art; music and skill subjects that had given also a positive signal for their other studies. The students had learnt practical things and concrete tips for their coming work. Otherwise the kindergarten teacher education had been experienced too theoretical. They had wanted to study more practical matters, when child-rearing is practical action and the kindergarten teacher profession are practical.

13 Learning views of the students’ learning  The students had learnt to value their study in the kindergarten teacher education.  They had learnt of children’s development, child-rearing and learning, though some students had experienced that it had been emphasized more children’s learning than child-rearing.  They would have wanted to learn more from special children, under three year old children’s pedagogy and skills to manage better children’s groups.  They had experienced the tests and examinations had not been a good form to learn. The essays were experienced as a better way to reflect and develop own learning and understand early childhood educational issues.

14 The comments  The students’ positive experiences of study both in the integrated teacher education and in the kindergarten teacher education connected with physical (small and nice campus, modern it- equipment), emotional (good atmosphere, motivated teachers) and social (everybody knows each other) things. Nobody had not mentioned cognitive (e.g. intellectual, thinking) experiences  The students’ negative experienced associated with the location of teacher education institution (small city and modest student-life), with the small size of the institution (everybody knows each other), learning environment (not supporting), with integrated lessons of class and subject student teachers (the focus on primary and secondary school), the kindergarten teacher education’s weak status and value (the lowest ladder), the kindergarten student teachers’ low position and capability to learn academically (intellectual capacity)

15 The comments (continue 1)  The students had learnt for themselves and for a coming profession important subjects, concrete and practical matters and skills and these things they would have learnt more, because the nature of the educational work and the profession are practical.  They had learnt things that belonged to children (development, child-rearing, learning). They would have wanted to learn more from young and special children and a management of a child-group.  The art, music and skill subjects had been worthwhile and nice and had supported in studying other subjects.

16 The comments (continue 2)  During the study the students had experienced the analysis of things and the reflection of own personal and professional growth as compulsive  Instead they would have wanted to use more time to reflect and develop own learning and early childhood education than they had had possibilities  The views of the students’ learning reflect partly a behaviorist learning (technical, surface) and partly a constructivist learning (wish to concentrate to contemplate and reflect). We can ask how much the learning culture of the integrated teacher education promotes also the above mentioned learning views?