Social Practices in Higher Education - A Knowledge Framework Approach to Linguistic Research and Teaching - Tammy Slater
Learning and Using the Knowledge Framework as a Language and Content Teaching Unit Project: A Case Study
Social Practices in Higher Education - A Knowledge Framework Approach to Linguistic Research and Teaching - Tammy Slater
Amy Walton [+]
Iowa State University
Gulbahar H. Beckett [+]
Iowa State University
Description
There has been limited research carried out on the integration of the Knowledge Framework (KF) and project work for language, content, and skills teaching and learning. A study that explores how preservice teachers appropriate the KF in their unit plan projects during short-term training contexts thus offers a welcome addition to the field. This chapter discusses a qualitative case study of a class of 17 preservice teachers participating in a four-week training session designed to teach them enough about the KF to create KF unit-based projects. The study examined their understanding of these projects, their reflections on the challenges involved in creating KF unit-based projects as an undergraduate course requirement, and their future plans for language and content teaching with these types of projects. Findings of the study suggested that although the teachers demonstrated that they learned much about the KF and were enthusiastic about experimenting more with it, having them learn about the KF by carrying out and reflecting on a unit planning project of their own, one that implements their knowledge of the KF, helped highlight issues and challenges that arose in their understanding of the theory. The implications of the study suggest that explicitly connecting theory and practice through this type of learning activity may help raise preservice teachers’ confidence about using blended KF unit-based projects in their future careers as well as offer valuable feedback to instructors regarding the areas that appear the most challenging.