Student welfare through involvement and networked learning in primary teacher training

Abstract

What makes students eager to learn? This is a fundamental question for every educator. After all, students who are motivated and involved in their studies are more likely to succeed (Affolter, Gerber, Grund, & Wagner, 2015) and simply 'pleasant to teach'. Student welfare is particularly relevant for primary teacher training colleges in the Netherlands, which struggle with dwindling student numbers, high variety in student population, and the risk of study delay or dropout (Dutch Inspectorate of Education, 2017).

In order to enhance student engagement, teacher training colleges in different regions in the Netherlands - Doetinchem, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam - have formed teacher learning groups (TLGs) on various topics relevant for (pre-service) teachers, consisting of students of different years, teacher trainers, and in-service teachers. TLGs are increasingly acknowledged as a powerful means of enhancing learning and development. On the one hand, they offer students room for social learning and agency, stimulating their involvement and motivation (Vrieling-Teunter, Van den Beemt, & De Laat, 2019). On the other, they stimulate and facilitate in-service teachers’ professional development (Lieberman & Wood, 2003). As TLG participants work together to solve authentic problems (Laferrière, Lamon, & Chan, 2006), both pre-service and in-service teachers gain specific and concrete ideas that can be directly related to their own classroom practice (Guskey, 2002). TLGs can thus be seen as social action evolving around relationships, or ties. TLGs, as collections of ties, enable both collaborative and individual learning and knowledge sharing (Schreurs et al., 2014).