Cultural-historical analysis of feedback from experts to novice science teachers on climate change lessons

This study uses the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), to investigate the dialogic interaction between preservice science teachers (PSSTs) and mentor teachers (MTs). We focus on the cultural and historical nature of feedback by MTs while PSSTs are learning to teach climate change. The primary data was video recordings of feedback sessions. The written feedback from MTs, PSSTs' lesson plans, and reflections were used as auxillary data. We used grounded theory and discourse analysis to analyse the data to answer the question, 'What is the cultural-historical nature of MTs feedback to PSSTs on their climate change lessons?' By highlighting components such as division of labour within classrooms, CHAT provided a lens to make sociocultural and historical aspects of teaching activity more visible to inform research on teacher education. We then conducted a frequency analysis to identify what aspects of CHAT were most and least attended by MTs. We noticed that MTs mostly highlighted educational and scientific norms that influence the sociocultural rules of science classrooms. The framework also helped us to identify other sociocultural components of teaching that were lacking such as the community of school. We suggest that CHAT can provide a guideline for MTs effective feedback to PSSTs.

Automated summary

This study used Cultural-Historical Activity Theory to investigate the dialogic interaction between preservice science teachers and mentor teachers, focusing on the nature of feedback by mentor teachers while preservice science teachers are learning to teach climate change. The analysis revealed that mentor teachers mostly emphasized educational and scientific norms in their feedback, but lacked attention to other sociocultural components of teaching. The study suggests that Cultural-Historical Activity Theory can serve as a guideline for mentor teachers to provide effective feedback to preservice science teachers.