Student teachers' development of learning-focused conceptions

Student teachers' conceptions of learning and teaching influence the way they approach situations in teaching practice. To provoke a focus on student learning in student teachers during teacher education, new learning environments are needed. This study reports on results of a newly designed learning environment characterized by the use of authentic contexts, authentic tasks and reflective dialogues. Questionnaires, drawings, metaphors and learner reports were used to gain insight into the development of student teachers' conceptions and the influence of the learning environment on this. Results indicate that the learning environment contributed to more learning-focused conceptions of learning and teaching.