Investigating the contradictions in pre-service teachers' perceptions about the process of teaching and learning in South Africa's classrooms : an activity theory analysis
This dissertation asks the question: Are there contradictions in pre-service teachers' perceptions about the process of teaching and learning? First, it investigates whether there are contradictions in pre-service teachers' perceptions and then examines what these contradictions are. It then analyses these contradictions to see whether there are patterns of contradictions across all of the pre-service teachers. In order to answer these questions an exploratory case-study design is adopted in which in-depth interviews are used to probe six pre-service teachers' perceptions of teaching and learning. Data gathered through the interviews were analysed using Activity Theory. In pal1icular, the analytical framework developed by Hardman (2005b) is used to surface contradictions in oral discourse. South Africa has gone through immense transformation over the past decade and the education system has been a part of this change. Engeström's Activity Theory is used as it explains innovation and change through expansive learning: we do not simply work with what we know we also change what we know in order to work with our surroundings. Activity Theory places the pre-service teachers' perceptions into a socio-historic context: they do not exist in a vacuum. This thesis mobilises the notion of 'contradiction' as a methodological tool to uncover sites of tension and potential change. With the immense changes happening in the country and the education system it is highly likely that there are changes which have created contradictions within pre-service teachers' perceptions about the process of teaching and learning in South Africa's classrooms. Engeström (1999) explains that contradictions are the potential sites of change. If there are contradictions within the pre-service teachers' perceptions about the process of teaching and learning these will be worked out over time and there is the potential that there will be change within this activity system. It will be argued that perceptions and beliefs influence practice and so changes in the pre-service teachers' perceptions will result in change in their practice. This has potential application in pre-service teaching programmes where contradictions can be used as devices to facilitate pedagogical change in pre-service teachers' perceptions prior to their entering schools. Methodologically, this dissertation draws on Engeström's expansive learning methodology but is limited to the first step in the expansive learning cycle: the identification of contradictions. Future research aims to complete the entire cycle. Findings indicate that there are contradictions within these pre-service teachers' perceptions about the process of teaching and learning in South Africa's classrooms. There are also three main patterns of contradictions across the six pre-service teachers that were interviewed namely: primary contradictions about the teacher' role; secondary contradictions between the subject and object; and a contradiction between subject and community. The pre-service teachers interviewed in this study are about to head into the world of teaching, many of them have already been appointed into teaching positions for the following year. These pre-service teachers will work through these contradictions, which are the potential sites for change. The presence of these contradictions, these 'double binds' indicates to me that change will happen in these students when they reach the classroom. Contradictions necessarily need to be resolved, whether progressively or regressively. Knowing what types of contradictions arise in pre-service teachers' perceptions about teaching gives us insight into what ultimately plays itself out in classrooms. This dissertation argues that it is vital to understand pre-service teachers' perceptions in order to understand what is happening in South Africa's classrooms; why something is happening in South Africa's classrooms; and what could potentially happen in South Africa's classrooms.
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