Study title

Improvisation Training in Teacher Education: Preliminary Assignments and Learning Diaries 2017-2018

Dataset ID Number

FSD3818

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3818
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3818

Data Type

Qualitative

Authors

• Seppänen, Sirke (University of Helsinki)

Abstract

The data consists of pre-assignments, learning diaries and peer feedbacks from learning diaries written by student teachers at the University of Helsinki, in which they discuss improvisation and improvisation methods as well as interaction and performance situations. The data was collected in the context of a study conducted during the course "Improvisation for self-confidence in teaching" at the Faculty of Education in the University of Helsinki. In order to participate in the course, students had to take part in the research. The study also included a neuroscientific section measuring the psychophysiological responses of the participants, which placed requirements on the course participants. This material includes the writings produced by the participants.

The course was organised in two parts, with the participants in the first part forming the intervention group and those in the second part the control group. During the course, the intervention group completed a pre-assignment, a learning diary and two peer feedbacks from the learning diaries, while the control group completed a pre-assignment and a learning diary.

In the pre-assignments, participants reflect on their relationship with performing, performance anxiety and teaching. In addition, they were asked about their thoughts on improvisation and their expectations of the course. In the learning diaries, on the other hand, participants reflected on what they had learnt during the course in relation to improvisation and performance exercises and how they applied this to practical teaching and performance situations. Participants also reflected on different everyday interaction situations through the exercises and concepts presented in the course. Furthermore, the participants reflected on whether they had received help with their performance anxiety and also, in general, on where they felt they had developed, become stronger or, on the other hand, what they would have liked to learn more about. In the peer feedback in the learning diaries, the authors, in turn, freely reflect on their learning experiences in relation to the ideas of others, such as what they experienced in the same or different ways about the subject areas of the course.

Background variables included the respondent's group in the study and the code generated for the respondents. The data were organised into an easy to use HTML version at FSD.

Keywords

anxiety; communication skills; language skills; social skills; teacher training; teachers; teaching; verbal skills

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Higher and further education (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Social behaviour and attitudes (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (C) available only for research including master's theses.

Data Collector

• Seppänen, Sirke (University of Helsinki)

Funders

• Finnish Work Environment Fund

Time Period Covered

2017 – 2018

Collection Dates

2017 – 2018

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Student teachers at the University of Helsinki (excluding those who are left-handed, pregnant, have a chronic illness or a mental health or substance abuse problem as defined by their health care provider, or if they smoke. In addition, participation in the course required not having practiced improvisation before.)

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Non-probability: Availability

The course announcement and information about the study was open to all student teachers at the University of Helsinki. Those who agreed to participate in the intervention study and met the selection criteria were selected for the study.

Collection Mode

Self-administered writings and/or diaries: Web-based

Research Instrument

Data collection guidelines: Self-administered writings guide

Data Files

104 writings in odt format. Additionally, the data were organised into an easy to use HTML version and a CSV version.

Data File Language

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

Qualitative data are available in their original language only and are not translated.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The intervention and control group pre-assignments, learning diaries and peer feedbacks are all in their own subfolders within the Data folder.

The researcher has generated a code for each respondent, using a combination of letters and a consecutive number. Other identifying information, such as teachers' names, has also been removed by the researcher.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Seppänen, Sirke (University of Helsinki): Improvisation Training in Teacher Education: Preliminary Assignments and Learning Diaries 2017-2018 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2024-04-03). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3818

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Seppänen, S. (2022). 'What would happen if I said 'Yes”?' Measuring the immediate and long-term impact of improvisation training on student teachers' subjective, neuroendocrine and psychophysiological responses [Helsingin yliopisto]. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-51-8512-9