Conceptual Change among Arab Student Teachers

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a qualitative research study designed to examine the effectiveness of an attempt to make a conceptual change among pre-service teachers to their role as trainees and the role of their pedagogical advisor. The participants are six Arab-Muslim female student teachers who are highly influenced by their first learning experiences, based on rote learning and memorization. Therefore, they tend to prefer ready-made approaches to risk taking, trial and error and enquiry manifested by employing different teaching methods, ideas and techniques. They also tend to prefer authority controlling relationships rather than perceiving learning and teaching as a long-life process. The results indicate some improvement in their inclination to depend on the pedagogical advisor and their willingness to try different methods of teaching, activities and techniques, making mistakes and learning from them. However, more time and ample opportunities for practice are needed to achieve the desired change.