Student Teaching’s Contribution to Preservice Teacher Development

Abstract

Despite increasing emphasis on preparing more and better teachers and despite the near universal presence of student teaching across teacher education programs (TEPs), numerous questions about what and how student teaching experiences contribute to preservice teachers' development remain unanswered. Indeed, much of the attention focused on student teaching in reform and policy discourses emphasizes student teaching's structural and logistical dimensions-for example, its location, duration, and division of labor-but not its contributions to learning among preservice teachers, nor K-12 students. This article reviews empirical articles published over the past two decades to determine what and how student teaching experiences contribute to preservice teachers' development as future teachers of students in urban and/or high-needs schools specifically. While keeping this central focus, the article also considers the implications of student teaching for the schools that play host to it and for the students who attend those schools. Anchored by sociocultural perspectives on learning and learning to teach, the review highlights a disproportionate emphasis on belief and attitude change, a relatively slim evidence base concerning the development of actual teaching practice, a tendency toward reductive views of culture and context, and a need for more longitudinal analyses that address the situated and mediated nature of preservice teachers' learning in the field. Based on these findings, authors offer direction for future research that will extend and deepen the knowledge base.

Does student teaching matter? Investigating pre-service teachers’ sense of efficacy and preparedness

“…However, several studies indicate a relationship between feelings of preparedness and an increased sense of teaching efficacy (Anderson & Stillman, 2013;Caires, Almeida, & Vieira, 2012;Darling-Hammond, Chung, & Frelow, 2002;Henson, Kogan, & Vacha-Haase, 2001), so it is worthwhile to investigate how pre-service teachers feel about how prepared they are after their student teaching experience. Therefore, another goal of this study is to explore pre-service teachers' feelings/perceptions of their preparedness to teach at elementary schools.…”

Kooli mikrokliima: õpetajate toetav käitumine ja õpilaste tulemuslikkus

“…Uurimustes tuuakse esile, et õppetööd on võimalik tulemuslikumalt läbi viia ja toetada õpilaste arengut, kui õpilaste vajadusi võetakse arvesse ning muudetakse oma suhtumist ja hoiakuid (Anderson & Stillman, 2013).…”

A Study of Classroom Inquiry and Reflection Among Preservice Teachers Candidates

“…Additionally, they add to the literature supporting the assertions that teacher educators have a role to play in focusing PSTs' thinking on their students and classroom practice and modelling reflective practice (Alger, 2006;Anderson & Stillman, 2013;Goldman & Grimbeek, 2015;Russell, 2013). Specifically, in this study, the teacher educator provided prompts to guide the inquiry and individual reflection (data collection form and the description of DI strategies) and engaged in collaborative reflection to help the PSTs clarify their thinking, suggest alternatives, and offer different perspectives.…”