This is a qualitative, mixed-methods study that focuses on the dispositions that preservice teachers bring into teacher education programs in regard to homelessness. Teacher education programs play an important role in providing preservice teachers experiences teaching that prepare them for working with diverse populations of students. Students enrolled in an elementary art methods course and participated in a civic engagement experience, teaching children after school who were living in a transitional housing program. The results of this study showed evidence that working in community settings with diverse students can alter preservice teachers' notions and awareness of impoverished and homeless children. As a researcher, it is my hope that this alteration will significantly impact the way that pre-service teachers interact with all of their future students.

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The purpose of this thesis study was to explore and examine the experiences andperceptions of special education preservice teachers (PSTs) preparing to work with students with mild to moderate or severe disabilities relative to completing a required special education multicultural class as part of their required course of study. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was incorporated to collect and analyze naturalistic interview data from 24 PSTs who were closest to the real-life contexts of this study. Each participant had completed the same multicultural class one year prior to being individually interviewed. At the time of the interviews, participants had completed a teaching practicum and were participating in their teaching internship or had completed a teaching internship. Findings indicated that as a group, PSTs perceived six overall benefits from the special education multicultural course. Perceived benefits included the benefit of an expanded understanding of culture; the benefit of assignments that led to greater understanding; the benefit of moving from a lens of stereotypes, fixed mindsets, and single stories towards more empathic understandings; the benefit of leveraging a safe classroom environment in order to consider personal biases; the benefit of shame rejection protocols providing emotional space for participants to work on recognizing privilege; and the benefits of learning from instructor's characteristics and pedagogical teaching strategies. Furthermore, findings from the data analysis indicated that students reported more easily applying broader concepts from the multicultural course to teaching contexts. On the other hand, findings from the data also indicated that students seemed to struggle more with applying specific teaching strategies to new teaching contexts. Moving forward, those who teach this special education multicultural class may consider including more targeted role-plays and directed learning experiences that hone in on specific teaching strategies as applied to a variety of teaching contexts. PSTs need to practice and receive feedback on applying teaching strategies that are culturally sensitive. Additionally, strategies should stem from empathy-based personal self-reflection of one's cultural impact.

Through the use of interview and observation data, collected over two years, this qualitative study describes the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of two Cooperating Teachers (CTs) and their assigned Pre Service Teachers (PST; n = 12) who were mentored over the course of two Special Education practicum experiences and five CT professional development trainings. Special attention was focused on the ways that CTs and PSTs describe modeling and how CTs’ modeling seemed to affect the CT/PST relationship. Participant responses were analyzed using a qualitative narrative method and indicated that CT’s use of modeling served primarily as a socializing process in which PSTs learn the role of a professional teacher through their interactions with the CT. Also, different types of modeling (e.g., simple vs. cognitive) seemed to affect this socialization process. The outcomes of simple and cognitive modeling were highly varied and affected the CT/PST relationship development differently. Additional findings indicated that professional development that focused on cognitive modeling may be related to CTs’ mentoring role development and the way they implement mentoring processes. It is hoped that the findings in this study will help to initiate conversations between CTs and PSTs and teacher educators concerning the use of modeling and the potential effects modeling may have on the mentoring relationship.

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The current study investigated the impact of an integrated STEM collaborative approach embedded in a science methods course on early childhood and elementary preservice teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and curricular role identity for teaching science, as well as the potential relationship between these two constructs. Participants were recruited from a group of preservice early childhood and elementary teacher candidates (N = 65) completing an undergraduate teacher education program at a university in the southeastern United States. Using a mixed-methods design, the preservice teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and curricular role identity were assessed using concept maps and a curricular role identity for teaching science survey (Forbes & Davis, 2008) at the beginning and end of the semester. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after the semester to collect qualitative data to clarify and explain the quantitative results. Findings suggested that the integrated STEM collaborative approach led to a significant increase in preservice teachers’ PCK and curricular role identity for teaching science over the semester. The significant increase was found in both early childhood and elementary education preservice teachers, with little to no departmental difference. There was no statistically significant relationship between the preservice teachers’ PCK and curricular role identity. Preservice teachers in this study found that examining science standards, unit planning, microteaching, and connecting with other teachers were beneficial for their development of PCK and curricular role identity for teaching science. This study affirms the collaboration among university faculty and preservice and in-service teachers. Implications and suggestions for future research are included.

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Through the use of interview and observation data, collected over two years, this qualitative study describes the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of two Cooperating Teachers (CTs) and their assigned Pre Service Teachers (PST; n = 12) who were mentored over the course of two Special Education practicum experiences and five CT professional development trainings. Special attention was focused on the ways that CTs and PSTs describe modeling and how CTs’ modeling seemed to affect the CT/PST relationship. Participant responses were analyzed using a qualitative narrative method and indicated that CT’s use of modeling served primarily as a socializing process in which PSTs learn the role of a professional teacher through their interactions with the CT. Also, different types of modeling (e.g., simple vs. cognitive) seemed to affect this socialization process. The outcomes of simple and cognitive modeling were highly varied and affected the CT/PST relationship development differently. Additional findings indicated that professional development that focused on cognitive modeling may be related to CTs’ mentoring role development and the way they implement mentoring processes. It is hoped that the findings in this study will help to initiate conversations between CTs and PSTs and teacher educators concerning the use of modeling and the potential effects modeling may have on the mentoring relationship.

No description available.

No description available.