Project Details
Projekt
DiKoBi2: Fostering diagnostic competencies of pre-service biology teachers using simulation-based learning environments: Effects of prompts adapted to pedagogical content knowledge and diagnostic activities and the importance of prompts in their course of studies
Applicant
Professorin Dr. Birgit Jana Neuhaus
Subject Area
General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
Term
from 2016 to 2024
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 274698440
TP 3 of the DFG Research Unit COSIMA (FOR 2358) focuses on the importance of the knowledge base for developing diagnostic competences. Within in the first funding phase, the focus was on the effects of the different knowledge facets – content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), pedagogical-psychological knowledge – on developing diagnostic competences. Based on this, the main question of the second funding phase is on how diagnostic competences can be fostered by scaffolding using different forms of PCK-prompts. Therefore, it is analyzed how microadaptive and macroadaptive PCK-prompts have to be included in the simulation-based learning environment to foster diagnostic competences effectively.Besides studies on the effectiveness of scaffolding and simulation-based learning environments, the theoretical foundation build models, which emphasize PCK for competence development. The Refined Consensus Model of PCK (RCM, Carlson & Daehler, 2019) describes reflection processes as a possibility to transfer personal PCK, which is based on a teacher’s experiences, to enacted PCK, which is an action-related form of PCK (Alonzo et al., 2019). Still not clear is, how this transfer takes place, how simulation-based learning environments can foster this transfer, and how microadaptive and macroadaptive scaffolding can be included effectively in such environments. Chernikova et al. (in press.) showed that in a meta-analysis, conducted by TP M, that complex problem solving processes, such as diagnosing in medical or pedagogical contexts, can be fostered by scaffolding. Learners with less prior knowledge mainly benefit from examples, whereas learners with higher prior knowledge benefit from prompts on critical points. Additionally, Belland et al. (2017) showed, that for learning processes macroadaptive scaffolding is more effective compared to micoadaptive scaffolding. Based on this, the central research question of TP 3 is how PCK-scaffolding can be used in simulation-based learning environments to foster diagnostic competences effectively.To answer the research question, three experimental studies will be conducted using the simulation-based learning environment, which has been developed in the first funding phase (Kramer et al., 2019b). Within the first study, macroadaptive prompts based on the PCK of the learners and within the second study, microadaptive prompts based on the diagnostic activities of the learners will be included in the simulation-based learning environment. The third study, which is conducted in a longitudinal design throughout the pedagogical studies, includes microadaptive and macroadaptive prompts based on the PCK of the learners.After answering these fundamental questions, the simulation-based learning environment can be embedded permanently into the curriculum of the pedagogical studies.
DFG Programme
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