“I m sweating ”: A physiological investigation of a pedagogy of practice

Significant attention to practice-based teacher education centers on providing teacher candidates with opportunities to rehearse the distinct practices of the profession. Grounded within practice-based teacher education, this study focuses on the physiological responses of teacher candidates in a clinical simulation learning environment. We examine a convenience sample of teacher candidates’ engaging in a series of six simulations that approximate some of the challenging situations and practices of teaching in secondary (grades 7-12) schools. As teacher candidates engage, we measure their heart rate and physical activity outputs within individual – and across the series of – simulations to better understand physiological response patterns within a practice-based learning environment. Data indicate statistically significant differences between the number of verbal triggers in each simulation and the measurements of heart rate and physical activity counts. Data also indicate statistically significant declines in physiological measures as the series of clinical simulations occurs across the one-semester timeframe. This study contributes to practice-based educator preparation in its examination of teacher learning through scaffolded simulation experiences. Advancing beyond teachers’ self-perceptions of stress, measures of teacher candidates’ physiological responses highlight a unique lens on instructional practices and sequenced pedagogical development in a clinical learning environment.