Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators
Background: This study explores teacher educators’ experiences facilitating small-group practice and reflection sessions alongside cyclic lesson design in a final-year methods course. Aim: The study examines how teacher educators implement and experience these sessions to support pre-service teache...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | African Journal of Teacher Education and Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ajoted.org/index.php/ajoted/article/view/78 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849768610790113280 |
|---|---|
| author | Dean Van der Merwe |
| author_facet | Dean Van der Merwe |
| author_sort | Dean Van der Merwe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: This study explores teacher educators’ experiences facilitating small-group practice and reflection sessions alongside cyclic lesson design in a final-year methods course.
Aim: The study examines how teacher educators implement and experience these sessions to support pre-service teachers’ lesson design skills.
Setting: The study was conducted within a fourth-year methodology course designed to deepen pre-service teachers’ understanding of lesson design, emphasising learning and the purposeful development of learners’ competencies for a fast-changing world. The small group practice and reflection sessions, combined with cyclic lesson design, are crucial components of the course.
Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six teacher educators during the 2023 academic year. A focus group interview was conducted towards the end of the course. The data were analysed using the constant comparative method, identifying key themes in teacher educators’ experiences.
Results: Teacher educators adapted practice and reflection sessions to address student engagement challenges and to enhance pre-service teachers’ understanding of the lesson design approach. While constructive feedback on cyclic lesson design was vital, it was also time-intensive. The approach allowed teacher educators to observe gradual improvements in students’ lessons, though some students struggled to apply insights.
Conclusion: Cyclic lesson design, combined with meaningful feedback and deliberate practice, promotes deeper, transferable learning. This approach supports pre-service teachers in developing the beginnings of adaptive expertise.
Contribution: This study contributes to research on pre-service teacher preparation, emphasising cyclic lesson design and deliberate practice as essential for fostering adaptive expertise. It recommends adopting similar strategies in teacher education programmes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a05ad88fec194aa7a6786f091238ae66 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2958-8650 2958-0986 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Teacher Education and Development |
| spelling | doaj-art-a05ad88fec194aa7a6786f091238ae662025-08-20T03:03:44ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Teacher Education and Development2958-86502958-09862025-04-0141e1e910.4102/ajoted.v4i1.7834Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educatorsDean Van der Merwe0Department of Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg, SowetoBackground: This study explores teacher educators’ experiences facilitating small-group practice and reflection sessions alongside cyclic lesson design in a final-year methods course. Aim: The study examines how teacher educators implement and experience these sessions to support pre-service teachers’ lesson design skills. Setting: The study was conducted within a fourth-year methodology course designed to deepen pre-service teachers’ understanding of lesson design, emphasising learning and the purposeful development of learners’ competencies for a fast-changing world. The small group practice and reflection sessions, combined with cyclic lesson design, are crucial components of the course. Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six teacher educators during the 2023 academic year. A focus group interview was conducted towards the end of the course. The data were analysed using the constant comparative method, identifying key themes in teacher educators’ experiences. Results: Teacher educators adapted practice and reflection sessions to address student engagement challenges and to enhance pre-service teachers’ understanding of the lesson design approach. While constructive feedback on cyclic lesson design was vital, it was also time-intensive. The approach allowed teacher educators to observe gradual improvements in students’ lessons, though some students struggled to apply insights. Conclusion: Cyclic lesson design, combined with meaningful feedback and deliberate practice, promotes deeper, transferable learning. This approach supports pre-service teachers in developing the beginnings of adaptive expertise. Contribution: This study contributes to research on pre-service teacher preparation, emphasising cyclic lesson design and deliberate practice as essential for fostering adaptive expertise. It recommends adopting similar strategies in teacher education programmes.https://ajoted.org/index.php/ajoted/article/view/78practice and reflectionteacher educationcyclic lesson designdeliberate practiceadaptive expertise |
| spellingShingle | Dean Van der Merwe Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators African Journal of Teacher Education and Development practice and reflection teacher education cyclic lesson design deliberate practice adaptive expertise |
| title | Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators |
| title_full | Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators |
| title_fullStr | Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators |
| title_short | Facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design: Insights from South African teacher educators |
| title_sort | facilitating practice and reflection in cyclic lesson design insights from south african teacher educators |
| topic | practice and reflection teacher education cyclic lesson design deliberate practice adaptive expertise |
| url | https://ajoted.org/index.php/ajoted/article/view/78 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deanvandermerwe facilitatingpracticeandreflectionincycliclessondesigninsightsfromsouthafricanteachereducators |