A Determination and Evaluation of Pre-Clinical Competencies: The Opinions of Student Teachers, Cooperating Teachers, and Progressional Educators

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to determine specific competencies student teachers should possess prior to the start of the clinical experience, (2) to determine how well prepared student teachers are in these competencies. These determinations were based on the opinions of University of North Dakota secondary student teachers who completed their clinical experience during the Fall 1970, the opinions of their cooperating teachers, and the opinions of selected faculty from the College of Education at the University of North Dakota. The research was concerned with generating answers to the following questions: 1. In the opinion of each of the three groups, student teachers, cooperating teachers, and professional educators, what competencies should secondary student teachers possess prior to the clinical experience? 2. In the opinion of student teachers and cooperating teachers, how well prepared were student teachers in these competencies prior to the clinical experience? 3. Will the opinions of cooperating teachers differ significantly from those of the student teachers with respect to specific competencies student teachers should possess, and with respect to how well prepared the student teachers were in these competencies? Procedures: The instrument used in this study was a Likert type questionnaire developed by the researcher, validated by educators, and proven reliable using the coefficient alpha test of reliability. The questionnaire contained one hundred competencies were categorized into seven sections representing seven major comptency areas: roles and responsibilities, planning, subject matter, skills, teaching and methodology, motivation and learning, and evaluation. The instrument contained two scales with four possible responses for each scale: (1) Scale 1 was to be used by the respondents to express their opinion toward each competency as a necessary prerequisite to the clinical experience. (2) Scale 2 was to be used by student teachers and cooperating teachers to express their opinion concerning the degree to which student teachers were adequately prepared in each competency. Completed and usable questionnaires were received from sixty-three student teachers, eighty-seven cooperating teachers, and twenty professional educators. Statistical procedures employed in the study included the tally and the related t-test. Conclusions: In light of the data generated from this study, the following conclusions seem appropriate: 1. Student teachers were of the opinion that they should possess a basic understanding in ninety-one of the one hundred competencies included in the instrument. 2. Cooperating teachers were of the opinion that student teachers should possess a basic understanding in ninety-six of the one hundred competencies included in the instrument. 3. Professional educators were of the opinion that student teachers should possess a basic understanding in ninety-four of the one hundred competencies included in the instrument. 4. In the composite opinion of all three groups of respondents, all secondary student teachers should possess a basic understanding in ninety-six of the one hundred competencies included in the instrument. 5. Student teachers believed they were adequately prepared in one of the one hundred competencies; inadequately prepared in ninety-nine competencies. 6. Cooperating teachers believed student teachers were adequately prepared in none of the one hundred competencies; somewhat prepared in thirty competencies; inadequately prepared in seventy competencies. 7. In the composite opinion of student teachers and cooperating teachers, student teachers were inadequately prepared in all one hundred competencies. 8. Student teachers and cooperating teachers do not differ significantly with respect to competencies student teachers should possess prior to the clinical experience, or with respect to how adequately prepared student teachers were in these one hundred competencies prior to the clinical experience