The Instructional Planning Experiences Of Beginning Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the nature of planning and the influences on planning among intern and novice teachers in Illinois. Sixteen intern teachers and 15 novice teachers participated in reflections, focus group interviews, and individual interviews. In regard to the nature of planning, both intern and novice teachers planned as a mental process, conceptualized and prioritized content, and utilized a daily or hourly planning approach. Interns differed from novices in the use of adaptation of lesson planning approaches. In regard to influences on planning, both interns and novices noted knowledge and experience, schedules, school administrators, facilities, technology, and resources, students, personality, and impracticality of planning methods. Further, intern teachers and novice teachers had unique influences on planning based upon their differing contexts, expectations, and teaching experiences.

Reflective Practice on Instructional Planning: Relevance and Contribution to Pre-Service Teachers’ Professional Development

“…Farrell (2014) made a similar point when he indicated that this type of reflection requires the teachers to anticipate what will occur during the lesson, as well as reflect on their past experiences before a lesson occurs. This type of reflection fits well with Ball et al (2007) description of the first step of teachers thought processes, which is thinking before the actual teaching takes place. This also signifies the importance of reflections on instructional planning.…”

“…Schon (1983) attributed this kind of reflection as reflection-in-action. Akbari (2007) and Ball, Knobloch and Hoop (2007) noted that this kind of reflection as "online reflection" that practitioners or teachers will encounter during their teaching actions; which may be difficult to be executed by some practitioners due to the demanding nature of thinking-on-your-feet. In Farrell (2014), reflection-in-action is described as a more immediate type of reflection; where teachers will have to make decisions on spontaneous, in-class incidents, for example, on students' response to the activity.…”

“…Although planning and execution are two entirely different processes, preparing pre-service teachers to design effective instructional plans will ensure that they have a good start to a successful lesson. In addition to teaching quality, Hooder and Hollongsworth (1975) in Ball et al (2007) proposed that an effective instructional plan also provides educational benefits; such as serving as a guideline for teachers, providing the teacher some time space to motivate his or her students, as well as allowing the teacher to evaluate what they have achieved in class and to improve their teaching. This will allow teachers to have empirical evidence as their source of reference, when they are certain of their teaching that they would like to improve on.…”

“…In training these future teachers, one aspect that has always been emphasized on is training them to write effective instructional plans. Ball et al (2007) proposed that the processes of instructional planning may be examined in two ways; which is on either "a set of psychological processes in which a person visualizes the future, inventories means and ends, and constructs a framework to guide his or her action" (p. 57) or as Clark and Peterson (1986) in Ball et al (2007) put forth "the things that teachers do when they say that they are planning" (p.260). Given the powerful position of instructional planning has in teaching, this section provide insight into the approaches to instructional planning, determining factors of successful instructional planners, as well as the educational benefits that effective instructional plans have.…”

Manage Transition to teaching : preparing beginning teachers for professional practice and reading instruction

“…Ball, Knobloch, and Hoop (2007) explain that instructional planning is essential to teaching because it is the process by which teachers link the curriculum to learning. In the present study, beginning teachers engaged in diverse means of planning reading instruction that included utilizing district resources as well as planning that extended beyond the designated time during the school day.…”