Abstract
Making has recently gained attention, as teachers integrate it into teaching to develop 21st-century skills and prepare learners for real-world challenges. However, despite the growing interest in using making as a pedagogical approach, there is limited research on the learning experiences of pre-service teachers derived from the courses intended to prepare them to use making when teaching, and how they might incorporate it in the classroom.
Framed by the literature on deeper learning, which involves learning that is long-lasting and transferable to contexts beyond the immediate, this qualitative study explored what pre-service teachers learn in a course on making as a pedagogy and what they found significant to incorporate into their teaching.
Ten participants were purposively selected from a cohort of 47 Foundation and Intermediate Phase third- and fourth-year pre-service teachers enrolled in a course designed to prepare them to incorporate making into their teaching. Data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The datasets were analysed using the constant comparative method in ATLAS.ti. This began with identifying preliminary categories and applying predetermined criteria, resulting in themes that became the study's findings.
The findings indicated that (1) pre-service teachers learned that the role of the teacher in facilitating learning experiences mainly involves guiding the learners; (2) pre-service teachers found it beneficial to consider how they could create maker learning environments by transforming their future classrooms; and (3) pre-service teachers learned about the cross-curricular nature of making and that making can be integrated across various subjects, topics, and age groups.
The study made recommendations for initial teacher education, including that initial teacher education institutions should consider developing courses to enhance pre-service pedagogical knowledge and skills in making as a pedagogy. Future research could focus on the challenges associated with integrating making as a pedagogy into teaching practice.