Trust and Belonging: Social Network Structures in Preservice Teacher Cohorts

• In Event: Creating Spaces: Moving Forward Trust and Belonging in Teacher Education

Abstract

Trust and sense of belonging are fundamental components of positive learning environments. Several scholars have extolled the benefits of belonging and trust in K-12 and undergraduate contexts, but comparatively less scholarship has examined trust and sense of belonging in graduate school courses, specifically teacher education programs (TEPs). Additionally, many TEPs have adopted a cohort model where preservice teachers take classes together with the intent being to build supportive relationships and community in the group. In this study we use social network theory to explore sense of belonging and trust in preservice teachers (n=67) in two cohorts in one TEP in the Western United States. We explore the question: what social structures are related to sense of belonging and trust?

Authors

• Peter Bjorklund, University of California - San Diego

• Alan J. Daly, University of California - San Diego