Relationship Between Changes in Classroom Practice and Beliefs about Teaching of Novice Faculty: A Longitudinal Study for Participants in a PFF Program Designed to Support the Introduction of Active Learning

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the relationship of influence between changes in classroom practice and beliefs about teaching and learning among novice university faculty in PFF (Preparing Future Faculty) program. To this end, we conducted a longitudinal study of six participants in a PFF program that introduced active learning. The results revealed cases where both classroom practice and beliefs changed before and after participating in the PFF program, cases where neither changed, and cases where classroom practices changed but beliefs did not. It became clear that there are two types of changes in classroom practice: “autonomous changes” where with changes in their beliefs and knowledge, teachers changed their classroom practices of their own volition, and “heteronomous changes,” where due to external influences such as training and school policies, teachers changed their classroom practice without any change in their beliefs. Further, the results suggest that even for heteronomous changes to classroom practice, where teachers were able to sufficiently recognize the educational effects through support from experts, etc., it became an opportunity to change their beliefs, leading in turn to autonomous changes in classroom practices.