You Gotta Believe: Teachers' Perceptions about Their Teacher Preparation (original) (raw)

Variation in Teacher Preparation

Journal of Teacher Education, 2002

Does teacher education influence what teachers feel prepared to do when they enter the classroom? Are there differences in teachers' experiences of classroom teaching when they enter through different programs and pathways? This study examines data from a 1998 survey of nearly 3000 beginning teachers in New York City regarding their views of their preparation for teaching, their beliefs and practice, and their plans to remain in teaching. The findings indicate that teachers who were prepared in teacher education programs felt significantly better prepared across most dimensions of teaching than those who entered teaching through alternative programs or without preparation. Teachers' views of their preparation varied across individual programs, with some programs graduating teachers who felt markedly better prepared. Finally, the extent to which teachers felt well prepared when they entered teaching was significantly correlated with their sense of teaching efficacy, their sense of responsibility for student learning, and their plans to remain in teaching.

Variation in teacher preparation: How well do different pathways prepare teachers to teach

2002

Abstract: Does teacher education influence what teachers feel prepared to do when they enter the classroom? Are there differences in teachers ’ experiences of when they enter through different programs and pathways? This study examines data from a 1998 survey of nearly 3000 beginning teachers in New York City regarding their views of their preparation for teaching, their beliefs and practice, and their plans to remain in teaching. The findings indicate that teachers who were prepared in teacher education programs felt significantly better prepared across most dimensions of teaching than those who entered teaching through alternative programs or without preparation. Teachers’ views of their preparation varied across individual programs, with some programs graduating teachers who felt markedly better prepared. Finally, the extent to which teachers felt well prepared when they entered teaching was significantly correlated with their sense of teaching efficacy, their sense of responsibi...

A comparative analysis of two teacher preparation programs

2007

A mixed methods study design was employed to determine what differences in knowledge of reading instruction and perceived preparedness to teach reading exist between two groups of teacher candidates enrolled in different teacher preparation programs offered at the University of Pittsburgh. Additionally, this study investigated which components of such programscoursework, field experience, reflection, or collaboration -teacher candidates perceived as preparing them to teach reading. Data regarding teacher candidates' perceived preparedness to teach reading were collected once upon completion of their preparation program and again after obtaining full-time teaching experience in order to record changes over time.

Prospective Teachers' Beliefs and Perceptions about

2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate how of a group of prospective teachers' beliefs and perceptions about teaching (as a profession) change as they complete a teacher education program offered by the Curriculum and Instruction Department at an Eastern U.S. University. Considering the fact that there is quite a difference between prospective teachers' entering and exiting perceptions and beliefs about teaching as a profession, there exists a need to provide new insight into the reasons causing this difference. The findings indicate that field experiences gave the prospective teachers the opportunity to modify their self-perceptions about teaching careers.

Assessing student teaching experiences: Teacher candidates’ perceptions of preparedness

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of student teaching experiences by measuring teacher candidates' perceptions of their preparedness. The participants were 130 teacher candidates who had completed their student teaching as part of a program preparing them to teach children in pre-K through grade 4. Teacher candidates responded to the survey by recalling their before and after student teaching experiences. A paired t-test was calculated to determine statistical mean differences before and after student teaching on five categories: a) pedagogical content knowledge, b) planning and preparation for instruction, c) classroom management, d) promoting family involvement, and e) professionalism. Mean differences of all of the paired items between pre-and post survey were shown to be statistically significant on all five categories.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE IMPACT OF TEACHER EDUCATION COURSES ON TEACHER PREPAREDNESS

The OECD recently completed a major project in 25 countries called, Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers, which found that teacher education was high on the political agenda in many countries. The Synthesis Report for the project, Teachers Matter (OECD, 2004), identified a number of common concerns about teacher quality, such as supply, teacher education, the status of teaching, and the retention of quality teachers in schools, especially disadvantaged schools.

An Evidence-Based Approach to Teacher Preparation

2016

Recently, a variety of education policy organizations, researchers, legislators and government officials have called for improvements to teacher preparation, as well as concrete evidence that programs are graduating effective teachers. For example, the National Council on Teacher Quality is seeking to achieve fundamental changes in the policy and practices of teacher preparation programs. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation has advanced evidence-based accreditation to assure quality and support continuous improvement to strengthen student learning. Deans for Impact is supporting its network in sharing data, program designs, and strategies, in an effort to improve student-learning outcomes by transforming the field of educator preparation. The Transforming Teaching Project calls for the creation of vertically aligned pathways that run from teacher preparation through induction and continue into ongoing school-based learning. The TeachStrong coalition, with 50-plus member organizations, seeks to reimagine teacher preparation to make it more rooted in classroom practice and a professional knowledge base, with universal high standards for all candidates. While a recent paper raises questions about the appropriate policy responses to these calls for action in light of the limited and conflicting research base regarding which teacher qualifications and components of teacher preparation lead to teacher effectiveness (Aldeman & LiBetti Mitchel, 2016), it is possible to draw lessons from research to inform practice. One approach teacher preparation providers can take is to build a teacher program from the ground up, investing in elements of teacher preparation which research indicates are related to teacher effectiveness and student gains. Another is for teacher preparation programs to take responsibility for assessing their participants' effectiveness prior to program completion, drawing on lessons from research on teacher evaluation. Urban Teachers has elected to implement both of these approaches at once. This paper provides a description of our model, its theory of change, and the literature base that supports and informs our model. In 2009, Urban Teachers, an innovative, residency-based teacher preparation program, was founded to supply high-need schools with effective new teachers. Urban Teachers takes a multifaceted approach to producing effective teachers, beginning with a strategic, rigorous selection process, followed by four years of intensive training and support, extensive classroom experience, and regular coaching visits. Along the way, Urban Teachers systematically evaluates the performance of its participants in several dimensions in order to make a final determination for or against teacher licensure, based on the proven effectiveness of its participants.