Exploring the salient experiences of pre-service teacher candidates who were former volunteer tutors
Abstract
Teacher candidates were tracked to monitor whether their former tutoring experience influenced their experiences as teacher candidates. Through interviews, email and group discussions, participants reflected on their teacher preparation experiences and their orientations to effective reading and writing instruction. At times, teacher candidates identified pedagogical similarities between their tutoring experiences and teacher education programs. Other times, disparities between the classroom and tutorial instruction settings provoked some candidates to denounce the approaches of their teacher mentors during practica. We conclude by discussing the need for teacher education programs to assist candidates to assimilate newly acquired pedagogies into existing ones, including those acquired through volunteerism.
Reference
Gallagher , T. L., Woloshyn, V. E., & Elliott, A. (2009). Exploring the salient experiences of pre‐service teacher candidates who were former volunteer tutors. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 17(2), p. 129-146, DOI: 10.1080/13611260902860075
Journal
Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
- early childhood education
- Elementary
Research Location Context
- Multiple contexts across programs
Preservice Participants
- Five-year program
- Postgraduate teacher education programme
Preservice Sample Size
6
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- email correspondence
- Evaluations (by mentor teacher/university liaison)
- Focus group discussions
- Interviews
- lesson plans
Data Analysis Tools
- Case study analysis
- coding (non-specific)
- Triangulation
Researcher Positionality
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
What are the experiences and perspectives of teach candidates who were former tutors in an after-school literacy program?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No