Comparison of student, first-year, and experienced teachers' interpretations of a first-grade lesson

Abstract

Student, first-year, and experienced teachers were shown a videotape of a first-grade language arts lesson and asked to write responses to three questions about the lesson. The questions focused on classroom management, teacher-student interactions, and use of students' knowledge. The written responses were analyzed in terms of length, complexity, linguistic cues, and topics discussed. Few differences were found between the student teachers and the first-year teachers. The experienced teachers showed a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of classroom events. Differences between the experienced and less-experienced teachers were found in the topics dicussed. Implications of these findings for teacher education are discussed.