Date of Award

3-1-1993

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in perceptions of role responsibilities for the student teaching triad consisting of the student teacher, classroom supervisor and university supervisor. There were multiple hypotheses involved in the study including: (a) each of the members of the triad would have different perceptions of role responsibilities, (b) the student teaching process would cause student teacher perceptions to change, (c) perception of supervisors would be effected by experience, (d) all groups would feel that the descriptors were important and (e) the age of the student teacher would effect his or her perceptions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data gathering and analysis were used including questionnaires, comments and interviews in order to gain clarity of role perceptions and possible problems.Five hundred seventeen (517) supervisors and student teachers involved in elementary level education from two upper midwestern universities were asked to answer a questionnaire containing 21 descriptors involved in student teaching. A return of 77% (396) included 71% (219) of the classroom supervisors, 95% (36) of the university supervisors and 81% (137) of the student teachers. All were asked to give their perceptions of role responsibilities within the triad and importance values for each of the descriptors. The questionnaire was designed by the author of the study and piloted. Many participants made comments in the space provided on their surveys and 137 volunteered to be interviewed from which 21 were randomly chosen.Significant differences $(p\le.05)$ in perceptions were found for many of the descriptors in all of the hypotheses areas and many suggestions were made for improvement within the current student teaching model. Among the findings were: (a) unanimous agreement on the need for the university supervisor, (b) many categories where the student teachers perceived the classroom supervisor to be most important, (c) disagreement areas which were not very significant when considered solely but which combined with others to lessen the quality of the student teaching process, (d) agreement on the importance of most student teaching descriptors, (e) issues of quality experiences and (f) some differences between the schools used in the study but also much agreement.

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