This qualitative descriptive study uses an intersubjective approach to examine relational aspects of the student teaching triad. Triad members include the student teacher, the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor. Beginning with a close reading of teaching socialization literature that focuses on the student teaching experience, various roles or scripted power relations, are carefully laid out. Working from the premise that conceptions of power may determine the quality of relationships, this interpretive study examines the power dynamics of eight specific student teaching triads from all three perspectives. The primary researcher was also the university supervisor in each of the triads studied. As an adjunct faculty member and former public school teacher, the researcher as supervisor brought a non-traditional 'eye' to the role of supervisor. Student teaching triad members were encouraged to consider and articulate the influence and control each triad member had in relation to decision-making concerning curriculum, classroom management and evaluation in an elementary classroom. Results reinforced much conventional wisdom about the student teaching experience and attempted to establish that in the institutional context studied an ideology of reputation and dependability held sway. Strong personal connections were found to be paramount for optimal functioning of the triads studied. Power struggles were noted as triad members strategically maneuvered in efforts to hide various aspects of their scripted roles. Conclusions from this study included the difficulty of moving the student teaching experience beyond ritual, how a cooperating teacher's own student teaching experience may strongly influence their supervisory styles and the difficulty of establishing spaces for critical dialogue within the student teaching triad as constituted. Suggestions include the establishment and maintenance of sustained robust communication between triad members. Critical dialogue that includes the articulation and consideration of various scripted power relations or roles in relation to potential strategic power relations would be encouraged. This recognition and 'naming' of power in language more in line with the elementary public school context, as perceived by the elementary teacher, could perhaps precipitate modifications to the traditional student teaching triad that would benefit all triad members.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-12222004-121212 |
| Date | 22 December 2004 |
| Creators | Rodgers, Janet Helen |
| Contributors | Mark Ginsburg, Noreen Garman, Janet Schofield, Cynthia Coburn |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12222004-121212/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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