The use of narratives in the evaluation of prospective teachers' training results - The "Most Significant Change" technique


Published: Jun 6, 2023
Keywords:
Teaching Practice prospective teachers mentor teacher narratives «Most Significant Change»
Marios Koukounaras Liagis
Manolis Papaioannou
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9821-6480
Abstract

The article explores the potential of a narrative research of prospective teachers' on the outcomes of a Teaching Practice programme. The research was qualitative and was conducted with the participation of 73 prospective teachers from the Department of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens during the year academic year 2021-2022 in two phases. The results of the practical training of prospective teachers in a school environment, when it is carried out through individualized guidance and supervision (mentoring), were studied and the use of a narrative research technique, the "Most significant change", in the evaluation of the results of their training was examined. This technique was used to collect and analyse the data at the middle and end of the Teaching Practice. Student teachers were asked to write down the most significant change they had personally experienced through the Teaching Practice experience. A content analysis of all change narratives was conducted with the input of independent reviewers, separately for each of the two phases of the research process. The data analysis shows that the outcomes from the prospective teachers’ practicum training are related to the academic aspect of teaching and its theory, while at the same time outcomes related to the formation of an educational professional identity emerge. The research confirms the scientific reliability of using narrative research approaches (most significant change technique) in evaluating the outcomes of a similar educational interventions, and highlights important criteria for the future design of Teaching Practice programmes aimed at training prospective teachers.  

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Author Biographies
Marios Koukounaras Liagis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Marios Koukounaras Liagis is Associate Professor at the Department of Theology and director of the Pedagogical Laboratory of Religious Education of the University of Athens. He is also co-coordinator of the Pedagogic and Teaching Competence Programme and of the Teaching Practice Course and Mentor Education programme. He is manager of a Centre of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (Learn Inn EKPA). His research interests are the teaching methodology of Religious Education, Development of Competences of for Democratic Culture, Curricula and Theories of Learning, Teacher Education, and Intercultural Education. He has published eleven books, chapters and articles on education.

Manolis Papaioannou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Manolis Papaioannou is a MA Religious Education teacher in Secondary Education. His MA is in "Sciences of Pedagogy and RE", and his specialisation is on teaching the effectiveness of inter-religious dialogue. He has worked as an expert in the development of the current Greek RE Curricula and the relevant educational materials. He is a coordinator of the Teaching Practice programme in the Department of Theology of Athens University (2016-) and an expert trainer of Mentor Teachers and Secondary teachers. He is currently working on his PhD thesis on "Mentoring as a Relationship and Method of training prospective teachers".

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