Learning from one’s mistakes or learning from others: teaching interns clustering model

Internship or practicum phase is viewed by teaching interns as the most beneficial and valuable component of their training. What they learned throughout their undergraduate training is put to a test as they now practice and learn the rudiments of the teaching profession. Yet teaching interns (TIs) learn differently from each other and are grouped when they go to their respective school assignments. How do we group or cluster teaching interns in order to maximize teaching performance? Using an artificial world simulation found in the NetLogo software, this paper presents classroom grouping models for Piagetian and Vygotskiian TIs using parameters such as zone of proximal development (ZPD), teacher distractions, and number of Vygotskiian neighbors allowed for interaction.Piagetian TIs have been found to perform better in low ZPD, low teacher distraction, and limited number of Vygotskiian neighbors. Vygotskiian TIs on the other hand, have been found to thrive in high ZPD, high teacher distractions, and more Vygotskiian neighbor levels.For an optimum teaching performance among Piagetian, Vygotskiian and combined Piagetian-Vygotskiian TIs in a cluster, ZPD levels and teaching distractions must be at a maximum level with predominantly Vygotskiian TIs comprising the cluster.