Teacher Candidates Peer-Oriented Triads: Transforming Practice through Peer Assessment during Field Experience

• Published in: The Canadian journal of action research Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 29 - 45
• Main Authors: Ho Younghusband, Christine, Koehn, Deborah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Association for Action Research in Education 01-02-2022
• Subjects: Communities of Practice; Field Instruction; Foreign Countries; Peer Evaluation; Practicums; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Program Evaluation; Resilience (Psychology); Resistance to Change; Sense of Community; Canada
• ISSN: 1925-7147; 1925-7147

In 2018 a teacher education program at a small research university implemented three initiatives to improve the practicum experience for teacher candidates. This program evaluation focusses on one of three initiatives, specifically, peer-oriented triads during practicum. The faculty members used the Spiral of Inquiry (Kaser & Halbert, 2017) as a framework to guide the implementation and assess the viability of triads during practicum, and to assess their worthwhileness. Teacher candidates tended to feel isolated and judged after a practicum experience. The implementation and intention of triads was to provide teacher candidates with ongoing feedback, support, and learning opportunities with peers from their cohort during practicum. Triads, or groups of three, were an ideal group size for sense-making, problem-solving, and collaborating. The feedback provided at the end of the program during the Celebration of Learning was that triads were valued and were considered a safe place to learn.