Perceptions of Pre-service, Content-Area Teachers’ during a Literacy Field Experience

• In Event: 106 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 03. Education and Teachers

Abstract

This study examines reports from 121 pre-service, content-area teachers using document and content analysis to identify trends across their experiences with regard to their perceptions of themselves, their students, and the contexts in which they completed the field experience. Findings indicate the teacher candidates learned about their ability to teach and developed confidence as teachers. Although findings also show some pre-service candidates have a deficit perspective of students, the teacher candidates’ reports revealed they gained new insights by working with diverse learners, suggesting that teacher education programs should provide pre-service candidates with multiple and varied opportunities to work with diverse students.

Author

• Salika Lawrence, William Paterson University