Talk Show Learning Strategy (TSLS): Roles, student engagement, and perceptions of pre-service elementary teachers’

Abstract

Student engagement is fundamental to elementary teachers’ education, supporting the development of active learning experiences, communication and collaboration skills, and pedagogical readiness among pre-service elementary teachers’. However, designing learning activities that support the active, structured, and sustained participation of all students remains challenging. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Talk Show Learning Strategy (TSLS) as a structured participatory learning framework that integrates role distribution, interaction rules, and reward mechanisms; to evaluate the influence of gender on students' perceptions; and to describe the learning experiences gained after participating in TSLS. This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach involving 115 students. The researchers collected data through observations and questionnaires. The researchers analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and the Mann–Whitney U test. The results indicate that TSLS provides opportunities for student participation through roles such as hosts, co-hosts, panelists, guest stars, and experts. The reward points system supports measuring student participation. Pre-service elementary teachers’ responded positively to TSLS implementation, and gender did not significantly influence their perceptions. Therefore, TSLS can serve as an effective participatory learning framework in elementary teachers’ education.