The Effects of Cooperative Learning Practices on Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Motivational Learning Conditions
Project no. 32355 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2024
Summary
<p>The limited availability of evidence-based findings regarding the extent to which teaching methods implemented in pre-service teacher education support prospective teachers’ motivational working conditions and basic psychological needs highlights the need for systematic research in this field. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the effects of collaborative teaching activities implemented in pre-service teacher education on prospective teachers’ perceptions of motivational working conditions and their academic motivation. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the study seeks to explore how the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported within the teaching process. An experimental mixed-methods design was employed. In the quantitative component, a pre-test–post-test quasi-experimental design with a control group was used, while semi-structured focus group interviews constituted the qualitative component. The quantitative sample consisted of prospective teachers enrolled in the Faculty of Education at Ege University. Collaborative teaching and active learning practices were implemented in the experimental group for eight weeks, whereas teacher-centered instruction was maintained in the control group. Quantitative data were collected using the Motivational Working Conditions Scale and the Academic Motivation Scale–Short Form, and ANCOVA was conducted by controlling for pre-test scores. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.</p><p>The findings indicated that collaborative teaching practices led to significant differences in certain dimensions of prospective teachers’ perceptions of motivational working conditions. In particular, the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness were experienced holistically within a structured and supportive learning environment. The qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, revealing that prospective teachers perceived decision-making, implementation, and social interaction processes as meaningful for learning. Overall, the results suggest that collaborative teaching holds substantial motivational potential in pre-service teacher education.</p>