A study to determine the effects of a supervision training program upon cooperating teachers and student teachers

This study was a naturalistic and qualitative study of the events and perceptions of the researcher, preservice student teachers, and cooperating teachers, engaged in alternative and regular field experience programs. The focus of the study was on selected preservice teachers from the teacher education program and selected cooperating teachers from Omaha metropolitan area school districts. Student teachers in group one were placed in traditional triads with a preservice teacher, a cooperating teacher, and a university supervisor, and group two student teachers were placed with a cooperating teacher acting in a dual role of cooperating teacher and university supervisor. The cooperating/supervising teacher enrolled in a three-hour graduate course and was paid a $250.00 stipend. All student teachers enrolled in and completed as four-hour undergraduate seminar class. A variety of qualitative data collection methods were used with some quantitative data to amplify the results. The data base was provided by an examination of preservice teachers\u27 journals, pre- and post-interviews of all participants, artifacts, the researcher\u27s on-going personal journal, cooperating teachers\u27 responses on a level of concern survey, and student teacher responses to varying classroom situations. All student teachers and cooperating teachers utilizing the traditional approach to supervision expressed concern with their supervision from the university. The personality of performance of the university supervisor was never criticized, but the number of visits, length of observations, and long-term effects on student teachers were questioned regularly. The student teachers who were placed with cooperating/supervising teachers in the experimental dual role expressed initial concerns regarding their experimental supervision and perceived a lack of contact with the university. This group of student teachers reported no concern regarding the number of visits, length of observations or long-term effect by their cooperating/supervising teacher. The cooperating/supervising teachers reported high levels of concern regarding the dual role during the initial stages of the project; however, they perceived their role as more effective and efficient as compared with the traditional university approach