TITLE:
Teachers’ Thought Processes: The Case of Tunisian Gymnastic University Teachers
AUTHORS:
Naila Bali
KEYWORDS:
Implied Thinking; Teachers University; Gymnastic; Didactic Intervention
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.4 No.7B,
July
19,
2013
ABSTRACT: Teacher’s behaviour is substantially influenced and even determined by teachers’ thought processes. Several studies concerning effectiveness in physical education have analysed various topics such as student engagement, curriculum time allocation, teaching methods, teacher behaviour, and teacher perceptions. However, these investigations have not applied the classroom research findings identified by other researchers. Firstly, this study explains the implied thoughts of the explained Tunisian Gymnastic University Teachers (TGUT) to teach gymnastics learning processes by analyzing their thought processes. Secondly, we included the analysis of the connection, interaction and relationship between the three topics reviewed. Thirdly, we identified and analyzed the difference between different Tunisian physical educational teachers’ thoughts and its influence on their didactical practice intervention. Data were collected during 4 months of observations and interviews with six TGUT at the high institute of sport and physical education (ISSEP) in Tunisia. They all teach not mixed class in Level1 (first year, BAC + 1). These interviews were semi structured (40 minutes each) and gave teachers the opportunity to share their perspectives on broad topics such as education, teaching, and society, and also on more succinct topics such as individual students and situations that had occurred in previous lessons. The data were analyzed using constant comparison. Three topics emerged illustrate how the teachers’ thinking influenced their selecting, ordering, and formulating of curriculum units, their didactic and pedagogical manoeuvring during lessons. This study revealed three major conceptions used by TGUT: 1) Teaching based on pedagogical conceptions (7.20%), 2) Teaching based on sciences (17.42%), and 3) Teaching based on means and practices (75.37%). A number of themes emerged from the analysis of each case, aside to the contextualised responses of individuals. The perception of the TGUT had two consequences: 1) a didactic consequence; the TGUT plan activities that will assist students in developing only physical skills, 2) the legitimacy of the contributory sciences in training programs for student teachers of physical education (PE). Basis on this argument, we might reasonably ask what might be done to address this problem. The issues discussed in this paper will encourage teachers to reflect on their own teaching beliefs and practices and to include them in the process of planning and teaching effectiveness.