Implementing profession orientation as a design principle for overcoming Klein’s second discontinuity – preservice teacher’s perspectives on interface activities in the context of a geometry course

Abstract

Intending to counteract Klein’s second discontinuity in teacher education, we explored and applied the innovation of “interface ePortfolio” in the context of a geometry course for preservice teachers (PSTs). The tool offers the possibility of implementing the design principle of profession orientation. In the article, we theoretically clarify what we understand by this principle and locate our innovative concept against this theoretical background. We empirically investigate the extent to which counteraction against the second discontinuity is successful by analyzing reflection texts created in the interface ePortfolio, focusing on PSTs’ perspectives. Our qualitative content analysis shows that most of them perceive the innovation as helpful in the intended sense and indicates that the course concept, in general, and the interface ePortfolio, in particular, have helped establish relevant links between the course content and their later work as teachers.