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Challenging student teachers' images of teaching.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

An increased knowledge of student teachers' prior beliefs about teaching allows teacher education programs to guide them in reflecting on, confronting, and challenging prior beliefs and values, if necessary. Autobiographies written by a cohort of preservice teachers were analyzed to uncover the self-reported images of teachers and images of teaching as an indicator of their implicit beliefs. The images have been organized along continuums of idealistic, incomplete, and silenced images to discuss implications for programs.

Introduction and Background

Lortie (1975) longed believed that predispositions developed through the "apprenticeship of observation" are central to one's process of learning to teach. However, he argued that what student teachers already "know" about teaching is more intuitive and imitative, rather than explicit or analytical and based on pedagogical principles. As a way of addressing the apprenticeship of observation, Feiman-Nemser (2001) has argued for preservice teachers to examine their beliefs critically in order to build a long-term vision of good teaching. If personal beliefs about teaching become obstacles to learning to teach, or prevent one from developing a healthy and lasting vision as a teaching professional, then it is imperative for teacher educators to pay attention to personal dispositions when designing programs. In particular, preservice teaching programs ought to provide multiple opportunities for student teachers to wrestle with their own preconceived and taken-for-granted beliefs about teaching and learning. Programs should also make room for student teachers' future learning and continued role development (Feiman-Nemser, 2001; Mahlios, 2002; Schoonmaker, 2002).

This article focuses on what can be learned about preservice teachers' beliefs from a cohort of 70 student teachers in a large, urban East Coast university graduate program. The program utilizes autobiographies as a platform for individual reflection when candidates enter the program. This qualitative study could help to review program efficacy by looking at how the inclusion of autobiographical reflection aids teacher induction and the development of a professional identity.

Substantial evidence in the literature supports the importance of beliefs and perceptions as determinants of teacher learning, change, and their instructional practices (e.g., Calderhead, 1996; Goodwin, 2002; Mahlios & Maxson, 1995; Mahlios, 2002; Nespor, 1987; Schoonmaker, 2002). The 2005 AERA panel on research and teacher education also presented a framework for teacher learning, acknowledging the importance of teacher dispositions in the development of visions of practice within learning communities (Hammerness, Darling-Hammond, Bransford, Berliner, Cochran-Smith, McDonald, et al., 2005). However, more literature is still needed to reveal and discuss specific beliefs or images of teaching (Calderhead & Robson, 1991; Minor, Onweugbuzie, Witcher & James, 2002; Pajares, 1992) and how to address them in different teacher education programs and contexts.

Methodology

In this study, we explored the beliefs of preservice teachers through a broad, inclusive concept of images. Having in mind Pajares' (1992) call to operationalize "beliefs," since it is an abstract and vague construct, we felt that...

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