Teacher Candidate Perceptions of Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds

Abstract

Field experience is at the heart of many teacher education programs in America. The early field experiences teacher candidates receive can set a foundation for future success in their teacher education program and even throughout their teaching career. The students in this study were enrolled in a university in a rural Midwestern state and 90% claimed residency in that state. The Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds were embedded in a 25-hour early field experience to provide a small group of teacher candidates with the opportunity to see multiple elementary teachers teach in their own classrooms in real time. Teacher candidates used a discussion protocol to debrief what they witnessed and reflected on how the experience influenced their learning about teaching. Over a two-year span, the teacher candidates who participated in Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds were surveyed to ascertain their impressions of the instructional rounds experience. The survey also asked teacher candidates about the potential impact of Early Field Experience Instructional Rounds on their future teaching practice. The survey results indicated that the time spent in the instructional rounds process was time well spent.