Examining the Development and Implementation of an Embedded, Multi-Semester Internship: Preliminary Perceptions of Teacher Education Candidates, Clinical Educators, and University Faculty

Abstract

ABSTRACT Within the current educational context, educator preparation programs are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their effectiveness in producing teachers that impact P–12 student learning. As a result, programs must investigate organizational features that are powerful for preparing teacher candidates to enter the classroom. One facet is the clinical experience, which allows candidates to enact practices learned within the preparation program within an educational context. This article describes the development of an embedded, multi-semester internship that incorporated an intensive field experience delivered in partnership with a local district. It was theorized that the activities associated with the internship and the related partnership have the potential to be a powerful way to structure teacher learning to impact theory-practice connections and improve candidates’ efficacy for teaching and learning. Preliminary data collection in the form of surveys and focus group meetings have revealed positive outcomes, including perceptions of readiness to teach and the development of relationships between various stakeholders. Subsequent analyses will examine the impact on observable classroom behaviors, performance on the edTPA, and impact on teacher self-efficacy.