Teachers' Perceptions of Connections and Disconnects Between Their Alternative Preparation and Teaching in Urban Classrooms

Abstract

This study is part of a larger ongoing research study on the impact of alternatively prepared teachers in urban mathematics classrooms. This report focuses on examining alternatively prepared high school mathematics teachers' perceptions of the connections and disconnects of their program experiences and the realities of the urban classrooms. Using phenomenology as the framework, a storytelling approach is employed to capture the perceptions of the teachers' experiences. This approach allows the teachers to convey their understanding of the relationship between their alternative preparation and teaching in urban classrooms. Five common themes are evident in their stories.