HERDSA 1996: Eklund-Myrskog - students' choice of different conceptions of learning in teacher education

Students' choice of different conceptions of learning in theoretical studies and practice within teacher education

Gunilla Eklund-Myrskog
Department of Teacher Education
Åbo Akademi University, Vasa, Finland

During the past few decades, teacher education in Finland has been radically reformed and changed into a university education. The aim of the academic education is that students develop pedagogical scientific knowledge as well as ability to work independently as teachers in practice. In order to reach the goals, the teacher program comprises both theoretical studies and practice.
Based on previous research it is now well known that students' conceptions of learning are related to their approaches to learning, which in turn have relations to their outcomes of learning. The aim of the present study is to investigate students' conceptions of learning in relation to the theoretical studies and the practice within the teacher education.
The study is carried out within a phenomenographic approach. Data for the study was collected through individual interviews with 20 student teachers in relation to the two contexts within the teacher education.
The results of the study show that at a category level, almost similar conceptions of learning are found within both the theoretical studies and the practice, while at an individual level every student had different conceptions in the two learning contexts. Within the education a certain amount of conceptions can thus be identified. Students choose among the conceptions when confronting different learning contexts. In order to reach the goals in both theoretical studies and practice, more attention must be paid to how students experience learning and the learning task within different learning contexts, and not within the education as a whole.

Background

During the past few decades, teacher education in Finland has been reformed and changed into a university education (Betänkande av 1973 års lärarutbildningskommission, 1975/75; Förordningen om pedagogiska examina och studier, 1978/530). The aim of the academic teacher education is to give students pedagogical scientific knowledge and theoretical insight, and to develop their abilities to master the school subjects and work in independent ways as teachers. The educational program comprises 160 credit units[1] and is planned to be carried out in 4-4.5 years. Within the program, students have both theoretical studies as well as practice. The aim of the theoretical studies is to train students in scientific thinking. Students get insight into both quantitative and qualitative research and they have to plan, carry out, and report an empirical study of their own. During the practice, students get insight into practical school work. They practise at a school and they have their own lessons. In that way, theoretical studies and practice represent two different learning contexts within Finnish teacher education.

During the development of the Finnish teacher education, the confrontation between theory and practice has been quite obvious. By tradition, practice has been seen as the most important part of education, while after the change into a university education, theory has been emphasised. In the discussion concerning the structure of teacher education, the relation theory-practice is of importance. Depending on where the emphasis is, one can suppose that students conceive fundamental concepts, such as learning, in qualitatively different ways, and consequently learn different things.

Aim of the study

Research into conceptions of learning has shown a quite similar variation. Studies have, however, also shown that the learning context seems to influence which aspects of the conceptions are accentuated and which are left in the background. From this point of departure, the aim of the present study is to investigate in what sense and to what extent theoretical studies and practice within teacher education, influence students' conceptions of learning. A group of student teachers was chosen as subjects and these students were interviewed twice, in relation to both learning contexts.

Conceptions of learning

The pioneering work in research into students' conceptualisation of learning was done by Perry (1970) and within a phenomenographic approach, studies have then been carried out, aiming at describing individuals' conceptions of learning. In the 1970s the first study was carried out and as a result five conceptions of learning could be identified (Säljö 1979). According to the first conception, learning was seen as an increase of knowledge and in the second conception, learning was seen as memorising. In the third conception, learning was understood as the acquisition of facts, procedures etc. which could be retained and/or utilised in practice. In the following conceptions, the reproductive nature of learning was replaced by conceptions in which the emphasis was on learning as a constructive activity. According to the fourth conception, learning was seen as the abstraction of meaning and in the fifth conception, learning was understood as an interpretative process aiming at understanding reality. The categorisation of Säljö (1979) has been supported by many other studies. However, in a study of Marton, Beaty, and Dall'Alba (1993) a new conception was identified and the categorisation of Säljö was reconstructed. According to this sixth conception, learning was seen as a personal change, adding an existential aspect to learning.

The structure of the phenomenographic studies on learning conceptions has been quite similar, although the studies have often been carried out in different contexts and independently of each other. The major part of this research has been conducted in Western countries such as Sweden, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Finland, and also in Australia. However, the interest in examining the importance of context to students' conceptions of learning has over the last few years led to parallel studies in Asia, Africa, and South America. Researchers have started to carry out similar studies in countries such as China, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uruguay. Some of these studies are of a slightly different character due to the fact that questionnaires are often used as the method of collecting data. Although a quite similar variation of conceptions has been identified, it seems that the learning context does influence which aspects of the experience are accentuated and which are left in the background (Dahlin & Regmi 1995; Eklund-Myrskog, in press; Marton, Watkins & Tang 1995; Pratt, 1992; Prosser, Trigwell, & Taylor, 1994; Watkins & Regmi, 1992).

Students' qualitatively different conceptions of learning can be related to their preferences of different approaches to learning (Marton, 1988; Van Rossum & Schenk, 1984). A conception according to which learning is seen as an increase in knowledge and as reproduction is related to a surface approach, while a conception according to which learning is seen as understanding and getting insight is related to a deep approach. In a similar way, approaches to learning can be related to qualitatively different outcomes of learning (Marton, 1975, 1988; Van Rossum & Schenk, 1984). Students with a surface approach often acquire detailed and superficial knowledge, while students with a deep approach try to understand fundamental principles and wholes. A deep approach usually has relations to good learning results and consequently this approach seems to have a greater pedagogical importance than a surface approach (Entwistle, 1981; Säljö, 1975).

The empirical study

Method

In the present study, the phenomenographic approach is taken as the point of departure. Within this approach the aim is from a second-order perspective[2] to describe, analyse, and understand how individuals conceive different phenomena in the world around, i.e. to describe phenomena as they appear to the individuals (Marton, 1981, 1986, 1994). The term, "conception", is of fundamental importance and has been defined as: "... a way of seeing something, a qualitative relationship between an individual and some phenomenon." (Johansson, Marton, & Svensson, 1985, 235). Qualitatively different conceptions of a phenomenon are described in terms of different categories of description. By comparing similarities and differences between individuals' utterances, these are categorised in such qualitatively different categories, which finally define a category system. Consequently, both the categories of description and the category system are totally post facto constructions and results of the qualitative analysis.

Subjects and data collection

Data for the empirical study was collected through individual interviews with 20 Swedish-speaking student teachers in Finland. All students were studying at the Department of Teacher Education at Åbo Akademi University. The students were interviewed twice in relation to the two learning contexts within the same teacher education. During one interview the emphasis was on students' conceptions of learning within theoretical studies, 'a pro-seminar essay', and during the other one it was on their conceptions of learning within practice, 'a practice period'. The interviews lasted about 45 minutes and all interviews were recorded and transcribed word by word.

Results

As a result of the analysis, students' qualitatively different conceptions of learning were described in six categories. These categories finally define two category systems, one concerning students' conceptions of learning within the theoretical studies and the other concerning their conceptions within the practice.[3] The conceptions found were related to the subjects according to Table 1.

Table 1: The distribution of student teachers' conceptions
of learning in theoretical studies and practice.[4]

Learning in terms of: Theory % Practice %

A a quantitative increase of knowledge 6 30 12 60

BT a quantitative increase of competence 20 100 - -

BP getting insight in something - - 6 30

C understanding 11 55 13 65

D changing perspective 6 30 3 15

E a personal development 5 25 4 20

48
38

Within both learning contexts students saw learning in terms of a quantitative increase of knowledge (category A). In relation to the theoretical studies the students had got more facts about the subject the pro-seminar essay concerned and in relation to the practice period they had got more ideas and methods for the teacher profession. In both cases, however, the conception reflected a quantitative view of learning and knowledge.

What have you learned during the practice period?
I have got a lot of ideas. . . ideas for the drawing lessons. . . Yes I have really got a lot of good concrete ideas.

Students in the second category within the theoretical studies (category BT) saw learning as an increase of competence. This conception too reflected a reproducing view of learning and knowledge, and could only be identified in relation to the theoretical studies.

What have you learned during writing the pro-seminar essay?
I have learned to use the computer. I have not been able to use it before and therefore it was really good for me to learn to use it.

According to the second category (BP) within the practice period, learning was conceived as getting insight into something. From the students' examples it was obvious that they had got a better view of how things work in a school and what it means to be a teacher. This category too reflected a quantitative view of learning and knowledge since the insight did not mean 'understanding' in the traditional sense.

What have you learned during the practice period?
I have really learned a lot of things. Most such things that do not directly belong to the teaching process, things outside the classroom. . . After all I have really got a better insight into what a teacher is really working with. . .

With respect to the conceptions A and BT, BP (within both category systems), the third category (C) was of a different character. According to this view learning was seen in terms of understanding. Learning was thus not conceived as acquisition of quantitative pieces of information or competence but instead as a qualitative change in conceptual understanding.

What have you learned during the practice period?
One thing that I thought about is that it is very important that a teacher does not demand too much of the children. An adult thinks in an adult way and soon forgets how it was to be a child. . ., and I think I had forgotten how difficult it can be at school for a child... but when I was working with the children I realised how they really worked and tried to do their best to manage.

According to the next conception, within both learning contexts, learning was seen as a change of perspective (category D). The difference between categories C and D was that the latter category reflected a change in a previously held perspective.

What have you learned during the practice period?
Earlier I have only taught older children and I noticed that I, unconsciously, had such a conception of children that they are mature and understand a lot of things. And now I noticed that it was not like that. . . The children were immature and they did not have so much knowledge and competence that I thought they would have. It was really a challenge for me to realise that!

Finally, according to the last conception (category E), 'learning in terms of a personal development', the process of learning was conceived to be related to the individual as a whole and the change was seen as being of importance for the students' development as human beings.

What have you learned during writing the pro-seminar essay?
Actually it is a process and one develops all the time. . . But it is quite difficult to decide when the process is finished. . ., because although you finish your essay, the process still goes on. . .

The main difference between the two learning contexts concerned the categories A, BT, and BP. During the theoretical studies the emphasis was on learning as a quantitative increase of competence, while during the practice the emphasis was on learning as a quantitative increase of knowledge.

Discussion

The result of the study showed that at a category level, four of six conceptions of learning were found within both the theoretical studies and the practice. While these learning contexts are different parts of the same overall context, i.e. a culturally, historically, and socially characterised teacher education, one could suppose that the education is totally dominating them. During their teacher education students have been socialised in some common conceptions of learning, which are quite similar independent of different parts of the teacher education. However, the result also showed that at an individual level the number of different conceptions exceeded the number of similar conceptions of learning. Table 2 illustrates the fact that every single student had different conceptions in the theoretical studies and in the practice.

Table 2: Number of identical and different conceptions of learning among students.

Number of identical conceptions Number of students Number of different conceptions Number of students

- 8 - -

1 11 1 1

2 1 2 6

- - 3 8

- - 4 2

- - 5 3

Sum = 20
Sum = 20

A certain number of conceptions can thus be identified within the teacher education. Students adapt themselves to the system and choose such conceptions that a specific learning context within the education requires of them. The academic teacher education can only be successful if the goals of the theoretical studies and of the practice, are related to how students experience learning and the learning task within the different learning contexts. In order to reach the goals of theoretical studies, i.e. to give students pedagogical scientific knowledge, and the goals of practice, i.e. to develop their abilities to work in independent ways as teachers, more attention must be paid to the ways in which students conceive learning within the specific learning contexts and how they actually do in order to meet the demands they experience within the different contexts, and not within the education as a whole.

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by a grant from the Academy of Finland and from the Cultural Fund of Swedish Ostrobothnia.

Notes

The term 'credit unit' refers to the average input of 40 hours of study/work by the student in order to fulfil the aim of a certain study unit such as a course, practice, etc.
In a second-order perspective the intention is to describe phenomena as people experience them, while in a first-order perspective the intention is to describe phenomena "as they are" (Marton,
BT = Category B within Theory, BP= Category B within Practice
The sum is greater than the number of students (20) participating in the study since every student could express several qualitatively different conceptions of learning.

References

Betänkande av 1973 års lärarutbildningskommission. (1975/75). Kommittébetänkande 1975:75. Helsingfors: Vation painatuskeskus.

Dahlin, B., & Regmi, M. P. (1995, August). Conceptions of learning among Nepali students. Paper presented at the 6th European Conference for Research on Learning and Instruction, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Eklund-Myrskog, G. (in press). Students' ideas of learning. Conceptions, approaches, and outcomes in different educational contexts. Åbo: Åbo Akademis förlag.

Entwistle, N. (1981). Styles of learning and teaching. An integrated outline of educational psychology for students, teachers, and lecturers. New York: Wiley.

Förordning om pedagogiska examina och studier. (1978). 29.6. 1978/530.

Johansson, B., Marton, F., & Svensson, L. (1985). An approach to describing learning as a change between qualitatively different conceptions. In L. West & L. Pines (Eds.), Cognitive structure and conceptual change (pp. 233-257). Orlando: Academic Press.

Marton, F. (1975). On non-verbatim learning. I. Level of processing and level of outcome (Report No. 39). University of Göteborg, Institute of Education.

Marton, F. (1981). Phenomenography - Describing conceptions of the world around us. Instructional Science, 10, 177-200.

Marton, F. (1986). Phenomenography - A research approach to investigating different understandings of reality. Journal of Thought, 3, 28-49.

Marton, F. (1988). Describing and improving learning. In R. Schmeck (Ed.), Learning strategies and learning styles. (pp. 53-82). New York: Plenum.

Marton, F. (1994). Phenomenography. In T. Husén, & T. N. Postlethwaite (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford: Pergamon.

Marton, F., Beaty, E., & Dall'Alba, G. (1993). Conceptions of learning. International Journal of Educational Research, 19(3), 277-299.

Marton, F., Watkins, D., & Tang, C. (1995, August). Discontinuities and continuities in the experience of learning. An interview study of high-school students in Hong Kong. Paper presented at the 6th European Conference for Research on Learning and Instruction, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Perry, W. G. (1970). Forms of intellectual and ethical development in the college years: A scheme. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Pratt, D. (1992). Chinese conceptions of learning and teaching: A western's attempt at understanding. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 11(4), 301-319.

Prosser, M., Trigwell, K., & Taylor, P. (1994). A phenomenographic study of academics' conceptions of science teaching and learning. Learning and Instruction, 4, 217-231.

Säljö, R. (1975). Qualitative differences in learning as a function of the learner's conception of the task. (Göteborg Studies in Educational Sciences No. 14). Gothenburg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.

Säljö, R. (1979). Learning in the learner's perspective I. Some commonsense conceptions (Report No. 76). University of Gothenburg, Institute of Education.

Van Rossum, E. J., & Schenk, S. M. (1984). The relationship between learning conception, study strategy, and learning outcome. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 54, 73-83.

Watkins, D., & Regmi, M. (1992). How universal are student conceptions of learning? A Nepalese investigation. Psychologia, 35, 101-110.

Author: Gunilla Eklund-Myrskog, Department of Teacher Education, Åbo Akademi University, Vasa, Finland. Email: gmyrskog@bilbo.abo.fi

Please cite as: Eklund-Myrskog, G. (1996). Students' choice of different conceptions of learning in theoretical studies and practice within teacher education. Different Approaches: Theory and Practice in Higher Education. Proceedings HERDSA Conference 1996. Perth, Western Australia, 8-12 July. http://www.herdsa.org.au/confs/1996/eklund-myrskog.html

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Learning in terms of:		Theory	%	Practice	%
A	a quantitative increase of knowledge	6	30	12	60
BT	a quantitative increase of competence	20	100	-	-
BP	getting insight in something	-	-	6	30
C	understanding	11	55	13	65
D	changing perspective	6	30	3	15
E	a personal development	5	25	4	20
		48		38

Number of identical conceptions	Number of students	Number of different conceptions	Number of students
-	8	-	-
1	11	1	1
2	1	2	6
-	-	3	8
-	-	4	2
-	-	5	3
	Sum = 20		Sum = 20