Drs. Moos and Pitton publish in Teaching Education Posted on December 5th, 2012 by

Dr. Daniel Moos and Dr. Debra Pitton co-authored an article (Student teacher challenges: Using the Cognitive Load Theory as an explanatory lens) that was recently accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Teaching Education. The Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) can explain the challenges faced by student teachers. This study, guided by the CLT, included twenty-six pre-service teachers. Participants completed a Cognitive Load self-report questionnaire and were interviewed at two points during their student teaching. Results revealed that student teachers decreased mental effort related to monitoring their students’ level of attention, meeting needs of diverse learners, and managing internal and external distractions. Qualitative analysis revealed: (1) Student teachers became aware of limited cognitive resources; (2) Lesson planning imposes cognitive load during student teaching; and (3) Cognitive overload limits ability to make modifications during teaching.

 

Comments are closed.