Science Teacher Candidates’ Questioning and Discussion Skill Performance in a Virtual Simulation Using Experiential Deliberate Practice

ABSTRACT Effective questioning and discussion are fundamental instructional skills for science teacher candidates to master. These skills are important for teacher competence that aids student achievement. Opportunities to practice these skills in traditional teacher preparation programs may be limited. This embedded single case study focused on an intervention consisting of an experiential deliberate practice approach which provides a virtual learning simulation experience and asynchronous skill development provided science teacher candidates with the opportunity to learn and practice questioning and discussion skills. Teacher candidates taught the same lesson three times to avatars over the course of three weeks to establish a baseline and post-intervention practices. Feedback was provided after each teaching experience and asynchronous skill development modules were presented between each teaching session. Data included scores of teacher practice using an evaluation rubric for questioning and facilitating discussions, self-reflective surveys after each teaching session, and culminating semi-structured interviews. Both participant self-reporting through surveys and interviews and scorer ratings of lessons supported the intervention having positive impacts on skill competencies of participants.