Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Odd Helge Lindseth

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Odd Helge Lindseth Associate professor in social sciences Hedmark University College Faculty of Education and Natural Sciences Hamar, Norway

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Paper to be presented at The Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) 35 th annual conference, Budapest, Hungary, 26th - 30th August, 2010 Paper presented Friday 27 th August 2010 Parallel sessions, round 1, Professional development of teachers 1.B

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? This presentation Empirical study of Norwegian teacher trainees’ values and behaviours Variations in how teacher trainees’ prioritize their studies Concern: Work effort, competences and professionalism (“minimalistic students” becomes “minimalistic professionals”?)

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Student groups analysed Early year teacher trainees (1 st and 2 nd year students in a 3 year program) Primary school teacher trainees (1 st and 2 nd year students in a 4 year program) All full time students attending Hedmark University College in Hamar, Norway

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Problem of inquiry Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently?  Obligations besides their studies (family, paid job, work in voluntary organizations)?AND/OR  Low levels of professional, work and educational values?

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? How to measure teacher trainees’ prioritizing of their studies? 1.Hours per week performing student activities (attending lectures, seminars etc., writing essays, reading curriculum etc., - alone or with other trainees) 2.The trainees’ own assessment of how they prioritize their own student activities 3.The trainees own assessment of’ their work effort compared to fellow trainees

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Hours per week performing student activities. Mean hours by trainee group. Early Years 2 nd year Primary 2 nd year Early Years 1 st year Primary 1 st year All 21,522,026,124,223,6 N

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Findings... Teacher trainees work around 24 hour per week with student activities First year trainees work somewhat more than second year trainees Small differences between early year and primary school teacher trainees

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Trainees saying they work with their studies only as much as they have to. Percentages by trainee group. Early Years 2 nd year Primary 2 nd year Early Years 1 st year Primary 1 st year All N

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Findings... Around 1/3 of trainees say they work with their studies only as much as they have to More primary school teacher trainees than early year teacher trainees have a “minimalistic” approach to studying

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Trainees saying they work with their studies about as much as most as their fellow trainees. Percentages by trainee group. Early Years 2 nd year Primary 2 nd year Early Years 1 st year Primary 1 st year All N

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Findings... Around 2/3 of trainees say they work with their studies about as much as their fellow trainees Most trainees regulate their work effort towards a “common level of effort”, which could be interpreted as a “minimalistic” approach to studying

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Hours per week performing student activities. Mean hours and Pearson’s R correlations by private activities. All teacher trainees. NoYesPearson’s RN Have children22,528, Have paid work25,322, Have unpaid work at home23,524, Participates in student organizations on campus 23,423, Participates in other voluntary organizations outside campus 24,222,

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Findings … Trainees’ work with their studies … Increases somewhat when having children (mean increase of 6 hours) Decreases somewhat when having paid work (mean decrease of 3 hours)

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Measurement of professional values Professional loyalty  Index measuring the degree to which trainees are loyal and committed to the profession they are training for Professional standard  Index measuring the degree to which trainees want to work according to the professional standard and according to what they have learned during their professional studies Professional obedience  Index measuring the degree to which trainees are willing to comply with the demands of society and to their management’s decisions, even if they might not find it right, or even if they disagree

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Measurement of work and educational values Extrinsic work and education  Index measuring the degree to which trainees have extrinsic attitudes towards work, education and learning  work, education and learning only as means to other ends Intrinsic work and education  Index measuring the degree to which trainees have intrinsic attitudes towards work, education and learning  work, education and learning as goals in themselves

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Correlations between hours per week performing student activities and value indexes. Pearson’s R correlations. All teacher trainees. Pearson’s RN Professional loyalty Professional standard Professional obedience Extrinsic work and education Intrinsic work and education.21184

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Findings … Trainees’ work with their studies … Increases somewhat when having higher degree of professionalism (all three dimensions) Increases somewhat when having intrinsic attitudes towards work, education and learning Decreases somewhat when having extrinsic attitudes towards work, education and learning

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Concluding analyses Which factors determines how much trainees work with their studies? 1.Obligations besides their studies 2.Professional, work and educational values 3.Student group (Early years or primary school) 4.Student year (1 st or 2 nd year trainees) 5.Year born

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Concluding analyses (cont.) Regression analysis Explained variance (Adjusted R 2 ) = 0.9 Significant scores only BBetaSignificance level Extrinsic work and education (scale from low to high) - 2, Student year (1 st year trainees = 0, 2 nd year trainees =1) - 4,

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Conclusions The most important factors in explaining how much time trainees work with student activities: 1.Extrinsic attitudes towards work, education and learning  Values which forms a basis for the trainees’ approach to studying and strengthens certain behaviours 2.Being an experienced trainee (2 nd year as opposed to 1 st year)  Experiences makes it possible to adjust your work effort in accordance to what is needed to reach your study goals

Why do teacher trainees prioritize their studies differently? Conclusions (cont.) 1.A “minimalistic” approach to studying 2.Studying full time with 2/3 work effort 3.Work effort regulated by values and towards a “common level of effort” 4.Work effort decreases when becoming 2 nd year trainee 5.Teacher educations must work with the trainees’ values and their use of time