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This was the beginning of a project which not only involved the stud-
ent in her own research and presentation but saw her first year class
make a video about the changes in their school. Throughout the year
this student developed an awareness about personal learning, peda-
gogy and classroom organisation that were essential components of
her notion of herself as a teacher. The student teacher’s own
learning are interlinked. Much of what might pass for skills or
approaches in teaching actually involve personal changes in outlook
as well as on occasion changes in the organisation of teaching and
learning. Students' resistance to new ideas may be seen as one
indication of this and perhaps only time and space to consider the
implications of new ideas and practices as they impinge on the student
teacher will enable the student's proper consideration of innovatory
educational ideas and practices. The topic under discussion here
is important for the local environment requires a multi-disciplinary
approach. Perhaps it was a coincidence that later in the year both
Integrated Studies staff and the school group were involved in deve-
loping the topic for the school Integrated Studies course. That
such coincidences recur suggests that active learning itself influ-
ences the construction of a rich and coherent agenda.
b) The Classroom
In the Research Group it was suggested that for student teachers
the move into school was a complex business which provoked personal
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needs and responses that were often unpredictable.
In the next extract the nature of student encounters in a maths class-
room are discussed.
It suggests that new forms of organisation make
demands on teachers and on student teachers which have implications
for teacher education.