The Need for Collaboration in the Student Teaching Experience

Perceptions of Cooperating Music Teachers on Service Motives, Relationships, and Mentoring Strategies During Student Teaching

“…Bowles and Runnels (1998) stated that the student teaching experience “has the least predictable expectations and results. Variable factors, such as the academic/musical preparation of the student teacher, skills and practice of the cooperating teacher, and frequency and quality of the supervision” (p. 15) lead to this unpredictability.…”

Key Aspects of Student Teaching

“…Hsu (2005) indicated that difficulties between student and cooperating teachers may contribute to the large amount of help student teachers sought from peers. Peer communication, however, should not be dismissed as a valid source of support, and Bowles and Runnels (1998) suggested having prescheduled times for such discussion among music student teachers.…”

“…Cannon (2002), in identifying areas of concern in the student-teaching process, found “the second most important area cited in the ranking was the need for expectations of the music student teacher to be more clearly defined prior to the student teaching event” (p. 137). Researchers have found that better communication between the university faculty and the cooperating teachers improved on the understanding of expectations (Albasheer et al, 2008; Bowles & Runnels, 1998; Cannon, 2002; Russell & Russell, 2011). Therefore, active and consistent preparation of cooperating teachers has been cited as one possible method to convey expectations (Albasheer et al, 2008; Bowles & Runnels, 1998; Brand, 1982; Nesheim et al, 2014; Rajuan et al, 2007; Russell & Russell, 2011).…”

“…Some language arts cooperating teachers have, in lieu of formally presented expectations, resorted to reviewing the student teachers’ course syllabi (Valencia et al, 2009). In developing and implementing a plan to meet the expectations of both parties, having university supervisors, music cooperating teachers, and student teachers be involved as colleagues in developing a structured plan for the student teacher has been presented as a possible solution (Bowles & Runnels, 1998; Nesheim et al, 2014). Logistics such as start and end dates, student teacher responsibilities, cooperating teacher expectations, and lesson planning all can be addressed during this time.…”

“…Magaya and Crawley (2011) found that both university-defined cooperating teacher selection criteria and any formal cooperating teacher preparation were consistently lacking. This lack was in spite of various studies that support the positive impact preparation has on the student-teaching experience (Albasheer et al, 2008; Bowles & Runnels, 1998; Brand, 1982; Rajuan et al, 2007; Russell & Russell, 2011). Coupled with cooperating teachers’ expressed desire for guidance, researchers have suggested that development of preparation programs for both cooperating and student teachers would also benefit the student teachers (Albasheer et al, 2008; Bowles & Runnels, 1998; Cannon, 2002; Rajuan et al, 2007; Williams & Soares, 2002).…”