Physical Education Teacher Education Student Teaching Placement Procedures: A Descriptive Analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to describe the placement procedures of physical education teacher education (PETE) programs in the United States. Participants were active 4-year traditional baccalaureate programs at state universities within the United States who were accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Of the 100 institutions invited to participate, 40 PETE programs completed the questionnaire. Participants reported the majority of their programs (62.5%) were organized under the college of education while 37.5% reported being organized under other colleges. No program reported being organized as a singular college. The median and mode for teacher candidates undergoing student teaching in the winter 2016 semester was 8. The majority of programs (92.5%) reported student teaching being one semester only and 80% reporting two or more cooperating teachers being utilized during that time. When asked who selected student teaching placements, 22.5% of programs reported the college of education alone, 45% reported the college of education with PETE faculty input, 27.5% reported PETE faculty, and 5% reported other. Congruency between the preparation program and the placement site was the most frequently reported factor when selecting a student teaching site, followed by availability of the cooperating teacher, and then by particular cooperating teacher qualities. No correlation was found between governance structure, placement official, or primary factor for placement selection.