Constructivist-based teacher education and pre-service teachers’ instructional competence for fostering cognitive activity

Abstract

This study examines the effect of a constructivist-based teacher education (CBTE) program on pre-service primary teachers’ (PST) instructional competence for fostering cognitive activity (IC-CA). A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group (CG) design was employed with 180 pre-service teachers assigned to experimental (n=90) and control (n=90) groups using stratified allocation within intact cohorts. The intervention consisted of a 12-week program incorporating problem-based learning, collaborative tasks, microteaching, and reflective activities. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in adjusted posttest instructional competence scores in favor of the experimental group (EG) after controlling for baseline performance. Although both groups showed improvement over time, gains were greater in the experimental condition. The findings suggest that structured constructivist teacher education is associated with enhanced development of multidimensional instructional competence for fostering cognitively engaging teaching practices, including instructional design, learner interaction, pedagogical questioning, reflection, and instructional decision-making. The study provides empirical evidence that practice-oriented constructivist learning environments can support the development of such competence in pre-service teachers.