Effect of Hidden Curriculum on Prospective Teachers; Thoughts about Teacher Training Courses

Year 2007, Volume: 50 Issue: 50, 321 - 345, 01.01.2007

Sedat Yüksel

Abstract

Summary As colleges of Education are the institutions to meet the teacher demand, the main function of them is to train qualified teachers that Turkey need. In order to make its function perfectly workable, a debate has been taking place especially on the teacher training institutions' educational curriculum and the important changes within the curricula have been performed recently. However, even dough the hidden curriculum that comes out during the implementation of the curriculum is more effective than the official curriculum; the message which is send to students from this curriculum has not been thought and discussed. The hidden curriculum has been defined as ‘messages' that are not specifically stated, but that students are expected to learn; as unintended learning outcomes and messages and as activities created by the students based on the teachers` expectations (Gordon, 1982; Jackson, 1968; Martin, 1976; Snyder, 1971). In the literature, publications and research on hidden curricula generally examined primary and secondary schools. There are fewer studies on hidden curricula in higher education (Ahola, 2000; Astin, 1993; Bergenhenegouween, 1987; Margolis, 2001; Margolis ve Romero, 1998; Nelson 1981; Snyder, 1971). A few studies explicitly focused on the hidden curriculum in teacher education (Bain, 1985; Bartholomew, 1976; Crow, 1987; Efland, 1977; Gair, 2003; Ginsburg, 1986, 1987, 1988; Ginsburg ve Clift, 1990; Ginsburg ve Newman, 1985; Horton, 1972; Mardle ve Walker, 1980; Parsons ve Beauchamp, 1985; Rennert-Ariev, 2002; Zeichner ve Tabachnick, 1981). Those studies have examined teacher education. But the majority of those studies were more theoretical than empirical. In this research it is aimed to find effect of hidden curriculum in students' thoughts about teacher training courses. In order to determine this effect in detail, this research was confined by the department of fine arts education at Uludag University. The reason for the selection of this department to this study is that a previous study revealed that the students at art education department most frequently demonstrated resistance behaviors compared to other students. (Yüksel, 2004a). Method The research subjects consisted of twelve undergraduate senior students at Uludağ University, Faculty of Education's Department of Music and Art Teaching. This research is quantitative and case study. Data are consisting primarily of semi- structured interviews. Interviews are being audio taped and transcribed. Later, descriptive analysis approach is used. Findings and Discussion When we examine students' thoughts related to teacher occupation, the high achiever students in teacher training courses has positive attitude toward teacher occupation but low achiever and average students do not want to do teaching job although they consider this occupation as important and holy. When the effect of department on students' thoughts of teaching job was examined, some students pointed out that they had already had negative attidutes toward teaching job even they first entered to this department. Some students indicated that since the educational faculties of subject-matter courses do not give adequate importance to teaching profession and art education, they were getting away from the ideas of being teacher. Students feel that the proportion of the teacher training courses within the curriculum of their department is adequate. They do not propose anything whether the time length spent on these courses and the content of these courses is increased or reduced. When the investigation took place to understand whether students are more interested in subject matter courses or teacher training courses, the high achiever students did not make such differentiation. In other words, they indicated that their interest levels regarding the subject matter and teacher training courses are equal. On the other hand, average and low achiever students indicated that they are more interested in subject matter courses.. Students argued that the instructors who are giving teacher training courses behave more responsive compared to the faculties who are giving subject-matter courses. Students come to an agreement that the faculties in the field of music education are more authoritarian and they neither give enough explanation nor feedback. In addition, students indicated that in relation to their department curriculum, subject matter courses and teacher training courses are disjointed in terms of design and instruction. Because the instructors who are giving teacher training courses stay away from the students' major areas, it is resulted in lack of communication between the faculties and students. Furthermore, the idea of the lack of coherency between the subject-matter courses and the teacher training courses is supported by the nature of instruction in the subject-matter courses that is all about what are these subject matters rather than how to teach these subject matters. It is found that the atmosphere in teacher training courses is tenser. Perhaps the reason for this tense atmosphere is due to the students' lack of interest in being teacher. Also, the students who have negative thoughts have prejudice against to educational course with the influence of learning and teaching process. Both reasons may result in the demonstration of resistance behaviors. Furthermore, because instructors who are giving teacher training courses are coming from different department, it may contribute to this tense atmosphere. Conclusion and Implications This study aimed to determine the effect of hidden curriculum on students' acquisition of teaching knowledge, skill, and attitude which are the main goals of colleges of education. Teaching knowledge, skill, and attitudes are largely tried to teach in teacher training courses. However, it should be noted that teaching such knowledge and skills are not only the job of teacher training courses but also the job of the other courses in department's curriculum and naturally the job of all faculties. The findings from the study show that the effect of hidden curriculum is very important in acquisition of teaching knowledge, skill, and attitudes. The hidden curriculum of departments' covered in this research aim to train students as experts rather than teachers. Because the instructors who are giving subject-matter are always in department whereas the instructors who are giving teacher training courses are coming outside of the department once a week, it can be argued that this makes the subject-matter instructors more influential and consequently effective in determining the hidden curriculum. As a result, the explicit messages about the importance of the subject-matter courses and the necessity of being expert in the subject-matter turn out a hidden message that acquiring teaching knowledge and skills is a secondary goal. In turn, students walk away from the teaching occupation. It is necessary to point out here that students make a separation between subject-matter courses and teacher training courses because the educational curriculums are molecular that indicates the incoherency between academic knowledge and knowledge about teaching job (Ginsburg, 1986; Ginsburg ve Clift, 1990; Zeichner, 1988). All participants talked about this incoherency in this study. Because of this incoherency, students are not able to transfer the knowledge acquired from teacher training courses to their subject area or teaching in their subject. Thus, students perceive teacher training courses as field-independent courses. In conclusion, we should think from a broad perspective if we want the function of colleges of education is perfectly workable. It seems ineffective to merely change the written the curriculum of colleges of education. Whatever has been made under the name of “reform” or “restructuring” by now was all about the changes in written curriculums. These movements can not remove the messages that are given to students or change the content of the messages (Ginsburg & Clift, 1990). Therefore, the hidden curriculum should be taken into consideration in the reforms related to college of education.

Keywords

teacher education , education courses , hidden curriculum

Örtük Programın Öğretmen Adaylarının Öğretmenlik Meslek Derslerine Yönelik Düşüncelerindeki Etkisi

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı Eğitim Fakültesi öğrencilerinin öğretmenlik meslek derslerine yönelik düşüncelerinde örtük programın etkilerini tespit etmektir. Araştırma nitel bir durum çalışması olup, veriler Uludağ Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Resim-iş ve Müzik öğretmenliği Anabilim Dalında öğrenim gören 12 son sınıf öğrencisi ile yapılan görüşme ile toplanmış ve betimsel analiz yaklaşımı ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada öğrencilerin öğretmenlik mesleğinin önemli olduğunu kabul etmekle birlikte, genelde öğretmenliğe olumsuz baktıkları, alan derslerine daha fazla ilgi gösterdikleri, öğretmenlik meslek derslerine giren öğretim elemanlarıyla iletişim kurmada problem yaşadıkları ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca öğrenciler alan ve öğretmenlik meslek derslerinin birbirinden tamamen kopuk olarak işlendiğini düşünmektedirler. Araştırmada elde edilen veriler ışığında anabilim dallarının örtük programı temel hatlarıyla ortaya konularak öğrencilerin öğretmenlik ve öğretmenlik meslek derslerine yönelik düşüncelerinde örtük programın etkisi açıklanmıştır.

Keywords

öğretmen eğitimi , öğretmenlik meslek bilgisi , örtük program

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