Mediating and perspective-taking manipulatives: Fostering dynamic perspective-taking by mediating dialogic thinking and bolstering empathy in role-play and reflection for microteaching

This study examined microteaching using computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) to assist student teachers in anticipating student voices and achieving authentic role-play. To achieve this, the design had two manipulatives: tangible puppets as “mediating manipulatives” that allow student teachers to elicit a variety of imaginary student voices in microteaching role-plays and three-dimensional animations as “perspective-taking manipulatives” that allow student teachers to dynamically switch viewpoints in reflection. This study aims to investigate how the combination of mediating and perspective-taking manipulatives helps student teachers foster the perspective-taking of imaginary students in their microteaching role-playing and reflection. We employed epistemic network analysis (ENA) to analyze discourse data collected both in the microteaching performances (including the tangible puppetry microteaching) and in the reflections. The results showed that the combination of the two manipulatives was effective for achieving the immediate transfer of imaginary students’ perspectives. Further qualitative analysis enabled by ENA indicated that the perspective-taking manipulatives were effective in bolstering perspective-taking due to the nonverbal aspects of students’ voices enacted in the role-play performances.