Impacting teacher beliefs: A whole language teacher education program

Abstract

This multi-case study focuses on a preservice teacher education program and four of the teacher candidate participants. It is important to the field as the focus is on teacher candidates at a mid-point in their professional coursework and also provides an in depth description of the learning experiences provided in a constructivist teacher education program. The teacher education program known as "the whole language block" consists of undergraduate methods instruction in reading, language arts, and social studies and an apprenticeship experience on-site at Borton Primary Magnet School in South Tucson, Arizona. The philosophy of whole language guides the instruction of the block. The case studies focus on the personal beliefs about learning and teaching of four teacher candidates and provide a "window" into the block experience. The data consists of two participant interviews, participants journals, daily field notes, participant exit cards, participant mid/final reflections, interviews with faculty instructors, and personal reflections of the researcher. The data was used to construct and critically analyze two "typical" days of the whole language block; and to construct four case studies of the experiences of the participants. The results of the study demonstrate a change in the teacher candidates' personal beliefs after participating in the whole language block. Additionally, the results speak to the importance of the use of a constructivist philosophy like whole language in teacher education programs. The critical role of an apprenticeship experience for teacher candidates is also supported.