An Analysis of Teaching-Improvement Suggestions to Student Teachers

Abstract

Since the quality of the teacher-education pro gram is to a great extent reflected in the perform ance of the student teacher in the classroom, the improvement or modification of the teacher-edu cation program might start with an analysis of the student-teaching performance. It is in the c lass room that we find the confluence of all those e le ments in the teacher-education program. This test ing ground is teeming with meanings and implica tions for all those who have a hand in preparing the teacher. College instructors who have provided the aca demic and professional education background of the student teacher would benefit by an analysis and feedback of what happens in their areas of respon sibility as the student actually performs the teach ing act. Valuable data would also be available for administrators responsible for the admission, se lection, and screening of prospective teachers. The attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of par ticular courses, or patterns of courses, after the teacher has been in the field, have brought disap point i ng results. The college supervisor of student teaching, working hand in hand with the public school supervisors, is close to the data and quali fied as a trained observer. He is in an enviable position to sample that rarified classroom air, and has the responsibility for analysis and feedback. The minutia or details of the analysis might consti tute more valuable data than the researcher's de ductions or analysis of the data.* A disturbing by product of the feedback is the clear picture it mir rors of the competence of the college supervisor.