“What Did Your Students Learn? How Do You Know?” Helping Student Teachers Articulate Student Learning

• In Event: University Connections With Field Experiences

Abstract

Using a constant comparative method, the researchers analyzed 144 interviews conducted with student teachers over a four year period. These interviews, 4 with each of 36 students, were conducted as part of the post-observation conference between the student teacher and the university supervisor after each formal observation. Researchers focused on the interview question: “What did your students learn today and how do you know?” They analyzed how student teachers articulated their understanding of student learning and how this articulation developed over time. The results show the student teachers focused on three areas in their responses: (1) student content knowledge, (2) teacher practices, and (3) P-12 student responses, and showed an increasing complexity in their responses over time.

Authors

• Kathie Kapustka, DePaul University

• Sharon J. Damore, DePaul University