Early field experiences offered to and valued by preservice teachers at sites of excellence in reading teacher education programs
Abstract
The importance of a highly qualified teacher for student learning is undeniably the most important factor in political and research circles today. The question is not "do we need quality teachers?" but "how do we prepare quality teachers?" In this article, we report on the early field experiences offered to pre- service teachers at 8 universities and the valuing that graduates of these programs held about their early field experiences. We then use these findings to re-think the features of strong field-based teacher preparation programs.
Reference
Sailors, M., et. al (2005). Early field experiences offered to and valued by preservice teachers at sites of excellence in reading teacher education programs. Teacher Education & Practice, 18:4, p458-470.
Journal
Teacher Education and Practice
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
yes
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
73
Other Participant Data
- Syllabi from teacher preparation program
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Interviews
- Questionnaire
- Syllabi from University courses
Data Analysis Tools
- Constant comparative analysis
Researcher Positionality
Research Questions
"The purpose of this article is to bring together two very different but closely related studies: first, a study that investigated the valuings held by first-year teachers as they reflected on the early field experiences related to reading that they received during their teacher preparation programs and, second, a study that examined the features of the early field experiences related to reading that were offered to these beginning teachers during their preparation program" (p.458).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How do we best prepared quality teachers before they enter the classroom, especially in the area of teaching?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes