The effect of case methods on preservice physical education teachers' value orientations

Background: Preservice teachers' beliefs and values develop during their K-12 'apprenticeship of observation' and filter both compatible and incompatible ideas about teaching and learning. Preservice teacher education has been suggested as a critical period for examining beliefs about teaching and learning. Case methods may be one curricular tool to instill change in preservice teachers' beliefs and values. Method: Ten Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students completed the Value Orientation Inventory-2 (VOI-2) and were interviewed four times over one academic year during which they were also engaged in three teaching practicums. The intervention consisted of reading and discussing eight cases in physical education focused on either the disciplinary mastery or social responsibility value orientation. Results: Results indicate that case methods had differential effects on PETE students' value orientations. PETE students' value orientations changed in the direction of the case theme at differing rates and not all students completely shifted their value orientation toward the case theme.