Assessing student teacher perceptions of preparedness using a dialogic evaluation process: a pilot study

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The role of student teacher perceptions to inform decisions and act as a catalyst for ongoing enhancements in teacher education has not been sufficiently investigated. This project investigates those possibilities by developing a dialogic evaluation process to interview student teachers before and after the student teaching experience. The process, developed in tandem with a ten member expert panel consisting of public school and higher education professionals, interviewed student teachers about perceptions of preparedness in the areas of: content knowledge, classroom management, school routine, lesson planning and diversifying instruction, effective communication, pre-teaching experiences, professional goals, and lessons learned from the field. Eight student teachers from the music department of a selected midwestern university participated in the pilot study. The findings from the pre and post-experience interviews were transcribed and coded using axial and open coding procedures. Once coded, findings were returned to the expert panel for validation. Once returned by the expert panel, the interview data was filtered through a literature review of available research on best practice in teacher education. Emerging from the literature review and commentary offered by the expert panel are five recommendations addressing the appropriateness of using the dialogic evaluation process as a means of collecting information on student teacher perceptions of preparation as a means of facilitating enhancements in teacher education.