Beginning in Different Places: Facilitating Preservice Teachers' Connections Between Theory and Practice in an Internship

• In Event: 35.081 - Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: 35.081-9 - Theory to Practice Conversations in Teacher Education Field Experiences

Abstract

Drawing on interview data from key participants in a yearlong internship program, this study examines how teacher educators, including mentor teachers, university supervisors, and course instructors help facilitate connections between theory and practice with interns. In addition, we investigate how preservice teachers negotiate and experience this facilitation as they try to enact researched based practices during their internship. We posit that those responsible for supporting learning of interns approach their work by beginning in different places as they scaffold the intern’s understanding of how to enact theory based instruction in everyday teaching. We also suggest that teacher education programs should take steps to assure these efforts are comprehensively coordinated to best support interns’ developing abilities to connect theory to practice.

Authors

• Vicki A. Vescio, University of Florida

• Mary Kathleen Rodgers, University of Florida

• Angela Hooser, University of South Florida