Are They Prepared? Examining Teacher Candidates', Cooperating Teachers', and University Supervisors' Perspectives of a Redesigned Field Experience

A team of teacher educators conducted a phenomenological study to explore the perceptions of teacher candidates (TCs), their cooperating teachers (CTs), and university supervisors (USs) during and after they participated in a redesigned seven-week practicum that led directly into seven weeks of student teaching. Data were collected via two surveys with open-ended prompts and revealed three distinct themes across the three groups of participants: relationships, preparedness, and professionalism. Opportunities, presented by the redesigned field experience, were seized upon but in varying ways dependent on each group of participants (TC, CT, and US). The findings from this study are significant because unlike other studies that just examine the perspectives of one group of the triad, the goal of this research was to understand the perspectives of the entire triad (TC, CT, and US). Recommendations for teacher education programs interested in redesigning their field experiences are shared.