Development of Professional Identity among Professional Development School Preservice Teachers: Longitudinal and Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The present study represents a portion of the program evaluation model employed in the Professional Development School program at The University of Texas at Tyler. The data collected and analyzed is comprised of the first cohort group of preservice teachers to complete the Professional Development Program at UT-Tyler and a comparison group of students who went through the traditional on-campus teacher education program at UT-Tyler. The preeminent goal of the design was to implement preservice experiences that would lead to the development of a sense of teacher identity earlier in the teacher training process. In this study, we examined some of the effects of exposure to the enhanced clinical experiences found in a PDS environment. In so doing, we are attempting to add to the emerging knowledge base surrounding the Professional Development School movement and how PDS programs compare to traditional education programs concerning areas of professional identity.