Search

Student teaching may require student teachers to address the demands of two masters that often have very different expectations and philosophies. They are caught in a bind of being expected to implement methods advocated in university coursework while also being expected to fit into the classroom to which they are assigned. This bind is further complicated by the tensions inherent in school reform efforts. As schools try to meet the needs of every child, they have adopted all manner of innovations, very often competing with each other. State educational reform with its emphasis on standards, testing, and increased accountability has also exacerbated the dilemma of teacher educators. They also may be caught in a bind of competing beliefs when designing coursework. For example, literacy courses include a component to familiarize preservice students with the standards, benchmarks, evaluation procedures, and the lexicon of reform used by the state. Of more concern, however, is the diminished view of the teacher as curriculum maker who adapts to meet the strengths, needs, and interests of a particular group of children. This study took place at a suburban K-6 school that serves a large percentage of children considered at risk for school failure due to their poverty status. Following a Qualitative Case Study design (Stake, 1995), its purpose was to describe a challenging student teaching context and investigate the outcomes for the student teachers.

This study presents three case studies of teacher candidates in a Masters in Teaching (MIT) Program who interned in a well-established middle school Professional Development School (PDS) in Washington State. Each of the three portraits reveals how student teachers can positively influence the learning outcomes of middle school students by bringing intellectual excitement and teaching renewal into the literacy classrooms of mentor teachers. Teacher interviews, teacher candidate reflections, and observations document the strengths brought to the classroom by teacher candidates, as well as the challenges they and their mentor teachers faced. The researchers conclude that flexibility and openness to learning on the part of mentor teachers are conditions that provide optimal support to teacher candidates and increase the opportunities for learning to occur for both mentor and mentee. This study also investigates outcomes for mentor teachers involved in collaborative inquiry with student teachers during an internship within the larger context of a partnership with education faculty at a university. The intention was to extend preliminary research by exploring more deeply the potential benefits of collaborative inquiry for the mentor teachers involved in partnership with a university. (Contains 1 figure.)

Describes how case studies of three elementary teachers provide documentation of the extent to which the Washington State educational reform movement has altered classroom literacy practices over time. Reveals the narrowing of curriculum to "teach the test" and replacing professional development opportunities with work designed to boost test scores. (SG)

Draws on case studies to analyze three elementary school teachers' subjective experience of standards-based school reform in Washington, focusing on their perception of changes in support for teacher professional development. Finds that despite a policy shift from initially supporting teachers' involvement in reform to policies leaving teachers less involved, teachers remained supportive of school reform goals, but expressed concerns about the influence of state tests on curriculum. (Author/KB)

Evaluated the impact of student teachers on the public school teachers and students within the Professional Development Schools (PDS) in which they were placed. Data from observations, samples of student teacher and student work, and interviews with student teachers, mentor teachers, and principals indicated that the PDS-mediated collaborations were beneficial to all involved. (SM)

Investigates the methodological issues that should be considered in order to link school-university partnerships to students' literacy learning. Suggests that researchers of teacher education initiatives should develop concerted efforts using appropriate research methodologies to investigate the impact of partnerships on student learning. (SG)

Considers how observation of and interaction with exemplary literacy teachers in "Model Classrooms" visits might affect preservice teachers' knowledge of practice. Suggests that engaging preservice teachers in a variety of activities with real teachers and children throughout their training enhances the experience of the student teacher and has the potential to positively impact the practice of inservice teachers as well. (SG)

This analysis of professional development school projects across multiple sites began as a discussion in the Teacher Education Research Study Group (TERSG) at the 1996 annual meeting of the National [...]