Abstract:

The Norwegian government encourage the use of student-active forms of learning in higher education, especially activities similar to tasks performed in working life (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2021). It is suggested that student-active learning methods will provide more opportunities to develop work-relevant skills. Teacher education (TED) aims to prepare future teachers with the skills to effectively engage their students through collective and innovative classroom activities. In Norway, TED integrates a combination of teacher-centred instruction and collaborative activities during seminars. Approaches such as flipped classrooms are often favoured for their ability to involve learners in the educational process, fostering deeper comprehension and critical thinking.

This study investigates the impact of the Learning-by-Teaching method, which posits that learners enhance their understanding of a subject by teaching it to others in interactive and collaborative settings (Duran, 2017). This method involves three key processes: preparing learning materials for teaching, delivering the content to peers, and engaging in discussions with fellow students. Both the preparation phase and peer interactions contribute significantly to the method's benefits (Duran, 2017). While studying course content to teach it afterwards may improve learning outcomes for pre-service teachers, replicating this effect among peers being taught can be challenging. Interacting with peers stimulates knowledge-building by identifying inconsistencies, posing questions, and offering explanations.

In Norway TED is a five-year master's degree which includes 60 study points in pedagogical courses. However, little research has so far investigated how pre-service teachers experience student-based activities in pedagogical courses. This study implements an action research approach to explore how 5-year pre-service teachers perceive the impact of the Learning-by-Teaching method on their learning outcomes during a pedagogical course in TED. Over five weeks, pre-service teachers (organised in groups of six) prepared lessons based on specific themes and syllabi. Their objective was to teach specific themes to their peers through a combination of lectures and collaborative activities. Researchers collected reflection notes from pre-service teachers, asking them to reflect on the method's impact on their learning outcomes. The dataset comprises 131 reflection notes, analysed through content analysis.

The analysis reveals pre-service teachers’ individual preferences, learning styles, and prior experiences. While some students found the Learning-by-Teaching method highly beneficial, others perceived its impact as limited. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of both teaching fellow students and being taught in shaping pre-service teachers' understanding of collaborative and innovative learning strategies for future classroom settings.

References:
[1] Duran, D.(2017) Learning-by-teaching. Evidence and implications as a pedagogical mechanism, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 54:5, 476-484, DOI: 10.1080/14703297.2016.1156011
[2] Kunnskapsdepartementet, (2021). Meld. St. 16 (2020–2021). Utdanning for omstilling— Økt arbeidslivsrelevans i høyere utdanning Meld. St. 16(2020–2021).

Keywords:

Pre-service teacher education, peer teaching, impact, methods.