The Role of the Clinical Educator in Teacher Preparation: An Exploratory Study of Perceptions of Preparedness

Abstract

As the demands on P-12 teachers increase, so do the demands on teacher preparation programs. In higher education institutions across the country, coursework is regularly updated to reflect changing academic standards, increasing diversity in classrooms, rigorous certification exams, etc. In addition, accreditation standards have been updated to reflect the need for P-12 partnerships in best preparing teacher candidates. As a result, clinical practice has come under focus. Yet the role of the clinical educator remains unclear. There is a gap in the literature regarding the preparedness and support of clinical educators, particularly addressing their role in developing teacher candidates along with higher education faculty. The assumption is that P-12 partners are prepared to co-construct experiences for teacher candidates. But, in specifically looking at clinical educators’ preparedness, there is a small research base. In response, this paper presents a quantitative study of clinical educators perceptions of their role in mentoring teacher candidates.