The beliefs and attitudes of preservice teachers.

Abstract

In this paper, I review issues related to the guided teaching experience between student teachers, their university supervisors and cooperating teachers, the influence these relationships have beliefs and attitudes of preservice teachers, and the implications for their program development.

Introduction

The No Child Left Behind Act requires a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom by the 2005-2006 school year and achievement gains by all students over time. States have clearly defined what a highly qualified teacher needs to know (state standards). Universities must develop teacher education programs that will meet their states standards. Teacher education programs must focus on teacher behaviors associated with student learning and teacher cognition--beliefs, changes in beliefs and reflection (Richardson, 1996). I will focus on the beliefs and attitudes that preservice teachers bring to their teacher education program. I will describe the participants involved in the guided teaching experience and the influence they have on the beliefs and attitudes of student teachers, and I will summarize these implications have for practice.

Preservice teachers enter their teacher education program possessing their own system of beliefs and attitudes about education. Shin, Bullock & Stables (2002) state that beliefs "refer to teachers' thinking and interpretations of their work involving their feelings, attitudes, experiences and decisions". This system began to form during early experiences when they were a student themselves. Their age, gender, culture, and theoretical orientation will influence their thinking as well.

Systematically, preservice teachers are provided varied experience through course work, faculty contacts, field-based experiences, and reflective practices. Renzaglia, Hutchins and Lee (1997) stated that these practices are used to promote and cultivate beliefs and attitudes that will dictate the professional practice and decision-making of student teachers. The development of beliefs and attitudes about teaching is a continuous process. Bolin (1988) reported that beliefs and attitudes develop along a continuum and that student teachers begin forming ideas about teaching through their countless experiences as students. Uncovering student teachers' lay knowledge and beliefs can have a profound impact on how and what teachers learn (as well as unlearn) in their programs (Hammerness, 2003). Upon entering a teacher education program, a "guided teaching" relationship is formed between the student teacher, university supervisor and cooperating teacher that influences learning to teach (Borko & Mayfield, 1995). During a student teaching experience, the role of helping a student teacher understand new practices falls upon the university supervisor and cooperating teacher. Before acquisition can occur, new information must infiltrate the student's existing belief system

The Guided Teaching Experience

During the student teaching experience, student teachers are placed in a classroom where they are required to teach a designated content (McNamara, 1995). At least three participants are directly involved in the student teaching experience: the university supervisor, the cooperating teacher, and the student teacher. Each of the participants may perceive the student teaching experience differently. Applegate and Lasley (1982) said that university supervisor view the student teaching experience as an opportunity for students to practice skills they have learned during their professional education course work. University supervisors are frequently seen in a primarily evaluative role because they are often the one that gives the grade. Cooperating teachers clearly are a critical and influential member of the team. For cooperating teachers, the student teaching experience requires time supervising the student teacher, but having the student teacher sometimes affords instructional opportunities that otherwise would be impossible. Unfortunately, cooperating teachers are selected because they volunteer and usually have little or no training in supervision (Meade, 1991). Many times, they do not reflect the beliefs or attitudes identified by the teacher education program (Baumgart & Ferguson, 1991; Zeichner, 1990). Student teachers perceive it as a time to learn by doing and a time to observe other teachers (Borko & Mayfield, 1995). In fact, as early as 1990, Guyton and McIntyre found that they rated it as the most valuable component of their program.

University Supervisors and Cooperating Teachers

A great deal has been written about the influence university supervisors and cooperating teachers have on student teachers. Borko and Mayfield (1995) examined the "guided teaching" relationships between student teachers, their university supervisors and cooperating teachers, and the influence of these relationships on learning to teach. Four seniors enrolled in an undergraduate program that led to a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and certification to teach kindergarten through grade eight were interviewed and observed to examine their knowledge, beliefs, thinking, and actions within the university and public school setting. They said that the major sources of student teachers' ideas were their own experiences, and they did not expect more than a few suggestions and little feedback from their cooperating teacher and university supervisor. Most cooperating teachers and university supervisors were perceived as playing limited roles in the process of learning to teach, except for a small number of cooperating teachers who played a more active role by conducting longer and more frequent conferences and providing more extensive feedback.

Wilson and Saleh (2000) surveyed and interviewed student teachers involved in the Clinical Master Teacher Program to examine their perceptions regarding strengths and weaknesses of the program. Participants indicated that the program was successful and had encouraged teachers to function together more cohesively. They viewed the university supervisor's role as limited and but supportive and positive. During most preservice experiences, university personnel are primary, but once student teachers enter the school setting, it appears that university supervisors play a limited role.

Changing Beliefs and Attitudes

Since teachers have pre-existing beliefs as a result of their own experiences, Tillema (1994) investigated whether it was possible to present new information to change already existing knowledge structures. He questioned whether training resulted in differing effects depending on whether or not information on existing teacher beliefs and preconceptions is taken into account by the trainer. To examine training effects, 146 teachers pursuing certification in special education were randomly placed in treatment conditions: concept-based or experience-based. The focus of concept-based training is on trainer-led instruction and concept attainment. Instruction is under the control of the trainer, structured by clear delivery of material and assignments. Little attention is paid to existing beliefs and attitudes. The focus of experience-based training is on sharing ideas, often originated in practice, and learning to reflect on one's own behavior. Instruction is matched to the learners, with a greater emphasis on trainee-controlled presentation of material. Prior to training, a questionnaire was used to pretest the teachers' professional background and experience with the training topic. The results regarding knowledge acquisition demonstrated that the participating teachers, with prior knowledge of their own, did not substantially expand their knowledge but did change their beliefs. Tillema (1994) found that the greater the correspondence between teachers' beliefs and what was presented in training, the more likely learning was to take place. The greater the difference between training content and teacher beliefs, the less learning took place. Matching student teachers with cooperating teacher and university supervisors that have corresponding beliefs and attitudes may produce greater outcomes.

Bunting (1988) examined the effects of student teaching when student teachers are placed with cooperating teachers. Prior to student teaching, they had completed a standard sequence of course work and approximately 200 hours of observatory/participatory experiences in the public schools. Seven student teachers seeking either K-3 or 4-9 certifications were randomly paired with cooperating teachers who came from a pool of teachers with a history of successful involvement in the program. They were judged to be good models and consistent with the philosophy encouraged by the program. Cooperating teachers and student teachers were administered the Educational Attitudes Inventory (Bunting, 1984, 1985) before the beginning of student teaching. At the end of the semester, student teachers were re-administered the instrument to identify changes in teaching views and to compare changes with the views of cooperating teachers. The EAI has two scales: the student-centered scale and the directive scale. The student-centered scale focuses on the emotional and cognitive dimensions of development in addition to the role of relevancy in the curriculum. The directive scale focuses on the responsibility of the teacher in the educational process. Bunting (1988) said that an important aspect of the EAI is the lack of interrelatedness between the student-centered and directive scales. Results suggest that none of the student teachers underwent fundamental changes in their belief system. Student teaching worked not to redirect the thinking of student teachers, but to expand their perspectives to include a wider diversity of methods and practices. Bunting (1988) reported that changes subsequent to student teaching were related to differences in the character of student teacher-teacher pairings. Student teachers moved in the direction of teachers possessing more flexible, adaptable views, while there was no change in the student teachers paired with professionals who had more extreme views. Matching students with a cooperating teacher and university supervisor who has flexible and adaptable views may produce a better student-teacher pairing.

Student Teachers

To explore the process of learning to teach from student teachers' perspectives, Johnston (1994) conducted a 3-year study. Thirty-five student teachers responded to interviews using open-ended questions probing their perceptions of the process of learning to teach, teaching, and the ways they made decisions about teaching. Johnston (1994) reported that for most participants, the process of learning to teach was a relatively passive one. Student teachers participated willingly, but had few definitive expectations. Student teachers identified modeling as an important part of the learning process, along with observation and actual teaching experience. Student teachers valued experience as the most important way of learning to teach, but many felt that actual teaching was a trial and error experience. They made mistakes, but more importantly learned from the mistakes. They wanted to build a repertoire of experiences so that they felt equipped to handle any future classroom situations they might face. In a survey conducted by Koerner, Rust, & Baumgartner (2002), respondents stated that cooperating teachers were considered teachers of children more that teacher educators. Unfortunately, student teachers may not always be recipients of good student teacher experiences if not placed with an adequate cooperating teacher. Since student teachers cannot be exposed to all the experiences they are likely to encounter, Johnston (1994) said "this learning process must be one of actively seeking specific experiences from which to learn and then actively processing the learning from those experiences." Student teachers need to be placed with good teaching models so they can learn the teaching process.

Implications

Student teachers enter a student teaching experience possessing knowledge and a belief system about education that started to form when they were students. Students participate in varied experiences throughout their university program that are aimed to shape their beliefs and attitudes. Prior to the guided teaching experience, most instruction is done by university instructors, yet once the student teacher enters the guided teaching experience, the university supervisor plays a limited role in the process of learning. Unfortunately, they are the ones issuing the grade. By this time, the student is relying on themselves, with minimal support from the cooperating teacher. If there is a correspondence between the student teacher's belief system and teaching approach used by the cooperating teacher, he/she will model the cooperating teacher's behavior. Student teachers should be matched with a cooperating teacher who has a flexible, adaptable view and a corresponding belief and attitude. An assessment would result in a better student-teacher pairing.

References

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Barbara M. Phillips, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Fullerton.