What Makes Preservice Teachers Learning Effective? Unveiling Characteristics of Practice-Based Teacher Education

Purpose : The authors aimed to explore meaningful characteristics of practice-based teacher education that facilitate physical education preservice teachers’ (PTs’) learning about a pedagogical model called Hanaro Teaching. Method : A qualitative case study design was adopted to focus primarily on a group of PTs in the Eastern United States. Eight PTs were selected as participants. Throughout one semester, PTs learned the model through a series of learning activities. Data were gathered through individual interviews, observation/field notes, and participants’ written materials. Findings : Five themes were identified during the analysis process: (a) confusion to confidence through repetition across formats; (b) I trust their feedback; (c) the more examples, the better understanding; (d) conference presentation as reflection-on-action; and (e) critical friends through cohort camaraderie. Discussion and Conclusion : The findings indicated that the characteristics of deliberate practice and reflection helped PTs learn the pedagogical model. This demonstrates the usefulness of the practice-based teacher education.