The end is near for a four-year, nationwide study examining how student teaching programs affect new teachers’ approaches to handling classrooms and what skills they learn from the programs.
Called “Teaching Teachers to Use Technology: What Works and Why,” the study has been conducted by the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
The broad goal of the study is to determine exactly what new teachers use from their teaching programs when thrust into the real teaching environment.
First, research was conducted to reveal the connections between a new teacher’s knowledge and skills to the teaching program he or she was instructed under.
Susan Goldman, distinguished professor of psychology and education at University of Illinois, Chicago, is one of the study leaders.
“We’re trying to look at what prospective teachers learn in their teacher education programs — how what they learn actually gets used when they go out and teach,” Goldman said. “We’re comparing programs that have different perspectives on teacher education to see if the programs look any different, and whether people coming out of those programs look any different.”
The LSRI examined schools of different demographics across the nation that were recognized as leaders of technology.
Over the course of the study, there has been information gathered from interviews with deans, teacher education program leaders, faculty and students at each of the universities taking part in the research.
The technology aspect of the study focuses on usage of computers or other technological aids in the classroom to help teach math, reading and science.
Melissa Gallucci, who graduated from Pierce College in 2005 and has been enrolled in the student teaching program at California State University, Northridge, was selected to be studied.
“It was basically a random selection,” Gallucci explained. “University of Illinois, Chicago, chose top schools for education in the nation and then selected students from the teaching programs.”
CSUN is one of the six schools still being examined of the original 10.
A representative of the study was present for two of Gallucci’s fifth grade student teaching lessons, to observe two math and reading lessons.
“They asked me about how I planned for the lessons and what books I used,” Gallucci recalled. “Since I really can’t stand the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) books, I just kind of did my own thing.”
Gallucci was enrolled in the Pierce Educator (PEPP) program at Pierce before transferring into the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) at CSUN.
Goldman talked about the trials presented over the course of the study.
“One of the issues people have about teacher education programs is whether or not they make a difference,” Goldman explained. “It’s very difficult to track the experiences provided in a teacher education program, what impact they have on a candidate, and how they might manifest when they get out there in the world and teach.”
Results of the study will be available within the next 18 months.