Preconceptions of elementary and secondary preservice teachers.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the preconceptions of classroom teaching held by the preservice teacher education students participating in the study. Further, the preconceptions of students majoring in elementary education were compared and contrasted with students majoring in secondary education for similarities and differences in their preconceptions of classroom teaching. Lastly, the participants were further divided into subgroups of traditional and nontraditional students. The similarities and differences of those subgroups' preconceptions were also examined. The participants included twenty-two students in a required first semester teacher education course. The course content encompassed material that was non-grade level specific or teaching content specific. Qualitative data was collected through the students' written assignments, audio- and videotapes of class and teaching lab sessions, small group discussions, fieldnotes, and informal interviews. Analysis of the data was conducted using Glasser's (1967) constant comparative method. The study found both similarities and differences across the participants' subgroupings of elementary and secondary majors, as well as the subgroupings of traditional and nontraditional students. The study found that the participants held preconceptions of classroom teaching and that those views are used as orienting lenses toward their teacher education coursework and fieldwork experiences. The findings of this study indicate that preservice teacher education students' preconceptions examined at the beginning of their formal coursework may be a research strand worth pursuing in furthering our understandings of teacher education students' orientations to teaching. The study's final chapter offers suggestions for future teacher education research and teach education practices.