Learning to teach mathematics and the place of active learning

This study is concerned with the comparison of "learning to teach' studies in teacher training programmes in Turkey and England with special reference to using active learning approaches and stage theories. It aims to realise the following two main objectives in terms of training programmes: 1. To indicate to what extent the adaptation of an active learning approach in teacher training programmes makes an impact on learning to teach. 2. To describe and compare the similarities and differences in trainees' learning to teach in both training programmes and to make connections with the broader educational policies in Turkish and English Teacher Training Programmes and in Schools. It begins with a literature review of learning to teach and active learning and then examines different aspects of the presentation of the stage theory in terms of the stages trainees go through during their teaching practices in order to reach the "reflective teaching stage'. This present study concludes with the presentation of findings and evaluation of the contribution of this research. The research design combined a qualitative approach in a quantitative framework. Two contrasting training courses were followed through their one-year programmes. Data collection was from classroom observations, examining documents (including official documents and trainees' written documents), semi-structured interview with four trainees and a mathematics subject tutor and questionnaires. English and Turkish versions of the questionnaire were developed, tested and piloted. The English questionnaire was administered (n=12) at the end of the first teaching practice and at the end of the last teaching practice. The Turkish questionnaire was administered (n=57) at the end of the first semester. The aim of conducting the questionnaires was to find out trainees' beliefs and views about teaching and to chart changes in these. In-depth study of how four trainees learn to teach in an English programme is central to the qualitative work in relation to Stage Theory and the place of Active Learning, both in classrooms and university training programmes. Given the centrality of the workplace for training, the study highlights the need to take account of each trainee's learning, in English and Turkish programmes, and to pay more attention to pedagogical content knowledge. If what is learned is influenced by how and where learning occurs, as demonstrated in the present study, then the Active Learning account of the Stage Theory may be an appropriate theoretical model for delimiting the scope of school based training, investigating the practical problems in learning to teach in the English teacher training programme, and adapting the findings to the Turkish Teacher training programme.