Teacher Education and Internship: An Evaluation of Alignment Between Preparation, Practice, and the Necessity of Engagement with Social Emotional Learning

Teacher education programs are established to create opportunities for preservice teachers to learn actively through course work and practicum experiences. This mixed methods study looked to understand preservice perceptions of their program post covid and to assess their perceived proficiency as an educator, by examining expectations placed on preservice teachers to indicate that there is a gap in their understanding of important concepts related to pedagogy and their application of best practices. The preservice teacher survey indicated a positive experience during their practicum experiences but the skill application for behavior management, flexibility, and classroom processes indicated limited experience and little empathetic understanding. The aim of this study is to reevaluate teacher education programs to better support and provide authentic opportunities for pedagogical skill development before graduation