An Effort Toward Collaborative Problem Solving in Teacher Candidates’ Practicum: Reflection in Action

This qualitative study explores my role as the clinical educator of a university practicum field experience at a public elementary and middle school. Nine teacher candidates participated in this action research that focused on changes implemented over the course of a semester to improve collaborative problem-solving inquiry and discussion. The primary data sources include audio-taped transcripts of purposely selected seminars, pre and post observation conferences, online student discussion board posts on the Learning Management System (LMS) and researcher’s field notes. Findings reveal that, through integration of multiple sources of student input, a clinical educator may develop a more complete feedback loop to facilitate development of student pedagogical perspectives and integration into the host school culture. Overall, there was a greater level of collaboration among teacher candidates and myself, as a co-participant and collaborator in their emerging practice