Recent calls for reform in teacher education have included improving the clinical experience of preservice teachers (Boyer, 1983; The Holmes Group, 1986). Research on student teaching indicates that the role of the cooperating teacher is of critical importance to the clinical experience (Tabachnick, 1980; Haberaan, 1978). Problems exist, however, in communication gaps between higher education and the public schools (O'Shea, 1984); in the selection of cooperating teachers (Griffin, 1981); and in their preparation for assisting novices in the development of knowledge about teaching and learning (Griffin, 1983; Kleinsasser, 1988). Early clinical supervision models (Cogan, 1973); Goldhammer, 1969) have been presented through top-down approaches. Literature on teachers as a cultural group (Lortie, 1975) provides some insight into why such approaches have not been successful and why cooperating teachers have not come to see themselves as teacher educators. / Ed. D.

Research project submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the Degree of Master of Educational Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2005 / Practice teaching is of paramount importance in the vocational training of student teachers. It is this immersion into the real world of school that prepares the student in making the transition from trainee to professional. The motivation for this study arose from the researcher's own experience of practice teaching as well as protracted contact with student teachers in a professional capacity. This research project attempted to explore and articulate an understanding of some of the experiences of student teachers following their final practice teaching session at a school before graduating. In order to garner a rich and nuanced perspective of these experiences, a phenomenological research methodology was utilized. Pertinent literature was reviewed in order to provide a content basis for further analysis and discussion. Five student teachers from the University of Fort Hare were interviewed. Their transcripts were individually analysed in order to extract themes. The following themes were identified: • A sense of it being mainly a positive experience • An awareness of the importance of relationships • An awareness of the cultural and contextual make-up of learners • A sense of ambivalence around sources of anxiety • A sense of ambivalence around the value of the journal • A learning experience The findings of the study revealed that all of the student teachers experienced practice teaching as being mainly a positive experience, although all the participants had experienced anxiety in some form around maintaining discipline. Practice teaching played an important part in their development as teachers by providing a context wherein they could merge theory and practice, find their own teaching and management styles as well as cope with the demands of multi-tasking that being in a classroom demands. The paramount role of the host teacher and the importance of positive relationships with all stakeholders was foregrounded - as was the importance of an awareness of the cultural and contextual make-up of learners. This study hopes to make a contribution towards the understanding of student teachers' experiences of practice teaching in South Africa. It is also hoped that through this study, further research in this field will be encouraged.

Teacher education researchers and policy makers recognize field experience, particularly student teaching, as a critical component of pre-service teacher learning and development. The co-teaching model of student teaching, in which cooperating teachers and student teachers jointly plan and deliver instruction, has been adopted by university-based teacher education programs across the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between elements of the co-teaching model of student teaching and teacher efficacy outcomes for student teachers. Research suggests that teacher efficacy, a teacher’s beliefs in his or her capacity to affect student performance, is positively associated with teachers’ behaviors and commitment to teaching as well as student achievement and motivation. This quantitative study utilized multiple regression statistical analyses to examine the relationship between co-teaching overall and the relationship, communication, classroom applications, and knowledge base elements and teacher efficacy overall and the domains of efficacy in student engagement, efficacy in instructional strategies and efficacy in classroom management. Descriptive statistics indicated that the relationship and communication elements of student teaching were more prevalent than the classroom applications and knowledge base elements. Student teachers in the sample reported higher levels of efficacy in instructional strategies than efficacy in classroom management and efficacy in student engagement. A positive and statistically significant relationship between teacher efficacy overall, efficacy in student engagement, efficacy in instructional strategies, and efficacy in classroom management and the co-teaching model of student teaching, after controlling for gender and credential program, was found. The findings of this study substantiate teacher education policy makers’ support for the co-teaching model of student teaching.

The problem of this study was to determine the relationship between the effectiveness of student teachers as measured by student ratings and situation-specific anxiety toward the act of teaching. Data for the study were obtained by the use of the Teacher Anxiety Scale and the Student Evaluation of Teaching Scale. The statistical evidence does not justify a conclusion that there is a relationship between the effectiveness of student teachers as measured by student ratings and situation-specific anxiety of student teachers toward the act of teaching. The statistical evidence does not support the conclusion that pupil ratings of student teachers are significantly affected by the student teacher's level of anxiety, sex, or teaching level. Furthermore, there is no statistical evidence given by the study that there is a significant difference in situation-specific anxiety among student teacher groups (Elementary or Secondary) according to sex or level of student teaching.

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Research has shown that the focus of mathematics student teaching programs is typically classroom management and non-mathematics specific teaching strategies. However, the redesigned BYU student teaching structure has proven to help facilitate a greater focus on mathematics-specific pedagogy and student mathematics during post-lesson reflection meeting conversations. This study analyzed what specific principles of NCTM’s standards of effective teaching were discussed in the reflection meetings of this redesigned structure. This study found that the student teachers extensively discussed seven of the eight principles NCTM considers to be necessary for effective mathematics teaching. Other pedagogical principles pertaining to student mathematical learning not included in NCTM’s standards of effecting teaching were also discussed, as well as the student teachers’ own understanding of mathematics. Behavior was discussed very little. This study also provides insights into how mathematics student teaching can be further restructured to assure that mathematics student teachers can leave their student teaching programs ready to implement the principles of effective teaching in their own classrooms.

Nearly all research that seeks to assist in reforming mathematics student teaching in the United States has been limited in that it (1) does not consider student teaching models in non-Western cultures, and (2) has not sufficiently studied the unique context of mathematics in student teacher-cooperating teacher interactions. This multi-case study addresses these issues by analyzing the interactions between three cooperating teachers and two student teachers in the mathematics student teaching setting in Japan. Four conclusions are presented to generate a coherent picture of the principles of teaching and learning to teach that are emphasized during this Japanese student teaching experience.

Research has shown that preservice teachers participating in traditional student teaching programs tend to focus on classroom management, with very little focus on student mathematical thinking. The student teaching program at BYU has been redesigned in the hopes of shifting the focus of student teachers away from classroom management toward student mathematical thinking. This study compared conversations between student teachers and cooperating teachers before and after the redesign of the program to work towards determining the effectiveness of the refocusing of the new student teaching program. The study found that STs and CTs in the different student teaching structures were talking about different things. Not only were the frequencies of conversations about pedagogy, students, and mathematics different, but the ways those individual topics were discussed was also different.

M. S.