Employing Community-Based Experiential Learning in Teacher Education

✍ Scribed by Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow

• Publisher: Springer Singapore;Springer
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 191
• Series: Springer Texts in Education
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book positions itself at the intersection of the interrelationship between three key areas of initial teacher education: constructivist learning theories, teaching practicum, and the promotion of reflective practices. It presents an innovative approach to teacher preparation at undergraduate and postgraduate levels by critically examining the implementation of a mandatory experiential learning block across subject disciplines on undergraduate and postgraduate teacher preparation courses. This book presents multiple examples and case studies of these varied experiential learning projects that will inform academics, teachers and policymakers. Through these rich examples the authors set out to address the theory-practice dilemma in teacher education, where teachers-to-be are often positioned as ‘consumers’ of educational research in classrooms, read reference books and academic papers on teaching, and observe university and school experts before applying the same acquired theories and practices in their own classes. In the book the authors argue for a shift away from this conventional teacher-learning curriculum that is characterised by the separation of theory and practice, choosing instead to promote pedagogy and methods courses where practice underpins all learning. These pedagogical perspectives include the promotion of a diverse range of learning contexts (including on- and off-campus learning sites) for student teachers to experience during their time on teacher education courses.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter ....Pages i-x
Concepts and Context (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 1-19
Transforming Initial Teacher Education Through Community-Based Experiential Learning: An Overview (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 21-39
Getting Started: Designing Your Own Community-Based Experiential Learning (CBEL) Initiatives (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 41-59
CBEL in Practice: Case Study 1 Pushing the Boundaries of Community-Based Experiential Learning in Teacher Education Through Innovative and Informal Learning Environments: CBEL in a Marine Theme Park (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 61-76
CBEL in Practice: Case Study 2 “Out of My Comfort Zone”: The Case for Overseas Language Immersion Programmes for Pre-Service Teachers (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 77-93
CBEL in Practice: Case Study 3 Building a Resilient Teaching Force Through Community-Based Experiential Learning (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 95-106
CBEL in Practice: Case Study 4 Sustaining Community-Based Experiential Learning Projects Through Student-Led Initiatives (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 107-116
CBEL in Practice: Case Study 5 Understanding the Learning Process of ‘High Performers’ on a Mandatory Experiential Learning Programme (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 117-130
Counter-Stories: Lessons Learned from Community-Based Experiential Learning Projects (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 131-147
Designing and Facilitating ‘Reflection-on-Action’ and ‘Reflection-in-Action’ in Community-Based EL (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 149-167
Some Final Thoughts (Gary Harfitt, Jessie Mei Ling Chow)....Pages 169-177
Back Matter ....Pages 179-188

✦ Subjects

Education; Teaching and Teacher Education; Learning and Instruction; International and Comparative Education