Student motivation in teacher learning groups

Abstract

The importance of social learning for student teachers’ professional development has gained acknowledgement. One way in which teacher training institutes incorporate social learning in their curricula is by involving students in teacher learning groups (TLGs). Participation in TLGs not only enables students to develop social skills, but also prevents them from feeling isolated and losing motivation for their studies. The present study uses convergent parallel mixed-methods design to search for relationships between TLGs’ social configuration and motivation among participating students (n = 55) of four Dutch primary teacher training institutes. The analyses reveal seven key variables for student motivation in TLGs: autonomous choices regarding content; new knowledge; sharing, support, and social skills; personal goals; autonomous choices regarding collaborating partners; scaffolding; equality in an informal atmosphere. Based on the findings, we advise teacher training institutes to consider integrating homogeneous and heterogeneous TLGs in their curricula, because both are valuable for student motivation.