Studentsentrert undervisning i lærerutdanning. "Når alle er engasjert og har lest, blir det fort en spennende diskusjon"

Abstract

In this chapter, we present a self-study project (Zeichner, 2007) about student-centered education for student teachers. The aim was to explore in what way student-centered education might increase students’ engagement and learning in adapted education. We used social-cultural theory and a dialogical framework (Dysthe, 1996) both as the basis for planning education and analysis of the data. We built up the education for the students as a “learning-pattern” of different kinds of dialogue. As method, we employed a questionnaire, which the students filled in at the end of the project. We found many examples of how individual reading and listening on the one hand, and collective writing and group discussion on the other hand interacted with each other and thereby increased student learning and engagement. However, a challenge was to involve students more actively in planning their own learning process to increase both learning and democratic participation. Our common planning, teaching and research made it possible for us to both develop our teaching and develop new knowledge about student-centered education.