From the "Margins" of the Classroom to "Mattering": Community College Preservice Teacher Identity Development

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Examining the Possibiliites of Community Colleges

Abstract

This paper discusses how students in a teacher education program at an urban community college develop teacher identities during supervised fieldwork courses. Using a quasi-experimental design, we compare two groups of students who were given different fieldwork sites and assignments. The experimental group was placed in an inner-city public school, as opposed to the more affluent schools traditionally used by the program faculty. The experimental group students created a classroom plan that included elements of action research. Results showed the experimental students took on a more central role in the classroom, developed a more realistic view of teaching and more critical self-reflection. We conclude that the sociocultural context of fieldwork placements may impact their development as students and future teachers.

Authors

• Cara Kronen, Borough of Manhattan Community College

• Rebecca Garte, Borough of Manhattan Community College