The study was designed to gather data on both a control and an experimental group of student teachers throughout the duration of the professional semester (January - May, 1970) which could serve as a basis for a decision relevant to future structural changes in the professional semester for secondary student teachers at Butler University.The study was designed to test the following hypotheses stated in null form:Hypothesis I: There will be no significant difference between experimental and control groups in measures of emotional stability when the individuals in each group assume the duties of a full-time student teacher during the practicum part of the professional semester.Hypothesis II; There will be no significant difference between experimental and control groups in measures of actual social stability when the individuals in each group begin the duties of a full-time student teacher during the practicum part of the professional semester.Hypothesis III: There will be no significant difference between the individuals in the experimental and the control groups in the measure of professional satisfaction which will be derived from the student teaching experience.Hypothesis IV: There will be no significant difference between the experimental and the control group in the measure of confidence possessed at the beginning of the full-time student teaching experience.Hypothesis V: There will be no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups in the measure of student teachercooperating teacher satisfaction with the organizational structure of each professional semester.Included in the existing professional semester were four days of pre student teaching observation in the students' assigned schools. The professional semester for the experimental group included twelve days of pre student teaching visitation and participation in the students' assigned schools.The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule was utilized in a pre test-post test situation for both groups during the first half of the semester to assess the variables, emotional stability and social stability. The Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory, was administered to the groups just before and immediately after the student teaching experience to obtain an expression by the student teachers for the variable, the level of professional satisfaction which was derived from the practicum. A two-tailed test of significance was used for the difference in group mean scores at the .05 and .01 levels. A cooperating Teacher Opinionnaire and a Student Teacher Opinionnaire were administered at the beginning of the full-time student teaching experience to secure an assessment relative to the variables, amount of confidence possessed by each student teacher and the amount of satisfaction expressed with the structure of each secondary professional semester. The Likert Method of scoring responses was used in conjunction with a one-tailed t test of significance at the .05 and .01 levels to determine if any significant difference between the mean scores for each group had resulted.All five null hypotheses were accepted. No significant relationship existed between an increase in the number of school days spent in pre student teaching observation/participation during the professional semester, and the (1) stability of emotional self-concepts of student teachers, (2) social self-concepts of student teachers, (3) level of professional satisfaction of the student teachers, (4) confidence of the student teachers to begin teaching, and (5) satisfaction of the student teachers and cooperating teachers with the organizational structure of each professional semester at Butler University as measured by the instruments utilized.Data relative to the following variables: (1) knowledge of students by the student teachers, (2) substantial professional involvement of the student teachers, and (3) continuity of school and college experiences, as provided by the Student Teacher Opinionnaire suggest that the experimental design of the professional semester did make a significant difference in the responses of the participants.In spite of the acceptance of the null hypotheses of the study, subjective evidence indicated that the experimental professional semester better met the needs of teacher education at Butler University than did the existing professional semester. More detailed guidelines concerning pre student teaching visitation objectives should be created for student teachers and cooperating teachers. Pre professional semester meetings should occur between the cooperating teachers and the designated college supervisor. Continued effort should be made to relate the general methods classwork to actual problems encountered in teaching.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/175166 |
| Date | January 1971 |
| Creators | Boop, Roger W. |
| Contributors | Strom, Merle T. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vii, 144 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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