Cooperating Teaching as a Professional Development Activity

Abstract

This study examined cooperating teachers’ perceptions of how student teacher supervision is aligned with the standards of the National Staff Development Council (NSDC). The conceptual framework of this research advanced that serving as a cooperating teacher is equivalent to a professional development activity. The researcher adapted an instrument from the NSDC to measure cooperating teachers’ perceptions in grades K-12. The survey was completed by 181 out of the 287 sample population. Cooperating teachers moderately agreed that student teacher supervision aligned with the standards of the NSDC. This role used the three categories needed for effective professional development: context, process, and content.