Journal Article

Pre-service teachers' perceptions of collaborative learning at university: A repeated cross-sectional study

Siobhan Dowling Long, Fiachra Long

2023

Overview

This study explores how a group of pre-service teachers in the second year of a preservice teachers masters program - the Postgraduate Master of Education (PME) - understood and practised collaborative learning (CL). Conducted over a six-year period (2015-2021), the study used semi-structured interviews (n=14) and surveys (n=100) to shed light on students' experience of collaborative learning in one 5 ECTS credits module (ED6341), taking account of their previous experience of CL, and their perceptions of CL as it emerged during the group work component of the module. The results indicate that the attitudes of students to CL were largely positive, despite the challenges they recognised. In particular, the study considered students' understanding of (1) the challenges of CL; (2) the benefits of CL; (3) the authority of faculty members.

• Publisher: Institutes for Educational Research in NSW, SA and WA,Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc
• Subject: Attitudes / Barriers / Collaborative learning / College Faculty / Cooperative Learning / Cross-sectional studies / Educational innovations / Educational objectives / Educational Practices / Educational Research / Elementary School Teachers / Evaluation / Foreign Countries / Graduate Students / Group Instruction / Interviews / Learner Engagement / Learning Processes / Learning Strategies / Literacy / Masters Programs / Outcomes of Education / Planning / Preservice Teacher Education / Preservice Teachers / Program Effectiveness / Self Efficacy / Student Attitudes / Student Experience / Student teachers / Teacher education / Teacher Education Programs / Teacher Educators / Teacher exchange programs / Teacher Role / Teachers / Teaching / Teaching teams / Training of