The student teaching experience is often an important capstone experience of teacher preparatory programs. Student teaching is designed to provide college students who are preparing to be educators with experience in an actual classroom while supervised by a certified teacher. The purpose of this study was to determine preservice teachers'…

The profession of agricultural education is experiencing shortages across the nation. Texas is critically impacted due to the renewed emphasis of career and technical education. This leads to questions about the preparedness of recent college graduates to handle the demands placed upon agricultural educators. Starting in 2012, Texas Tech…

When educators collaborate to create different products, construct knowledge, and solve problems, they develop their collegiality and it motivates them to return each year. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory (1962) aided in the understanding of pre-service teachers' experiences related to collaboration during their teacher preparation program. The…

Student teaching is the capstone experience in an agricultural teacher preparation program (Edgar, Roberts, & Murphy, 2011). During student teaching, pre-service teachers work with cooperating teachers to learn to effectively deliver instruction (Feiman-Nemser & Buchmann, 1987) on topics such as agriscience, agricultural mechanics,…

With a continuous shortage of qualified agricultural science teachers (Foster, Lawver, Smith, 2014; Kantrovich, 2010), it is imperative teacher preparation programs identify and utilize effective cooperating teachers, as well as develop training for in-service teachers that will assist in preparing more effective cooperating teachers. The purpose…

The traditional student teaching experience includes a complex, triadic relationship between student teacher, cooperating teacher, and the university supervisor. Studies seeking to understand this experience from the perspectives of the student teacher and cooperating teacher are commonly found in the literature; yet research specific to the…

The purpose of this national study was to describe agricultural teacher education early field experience (EFE) practices using the EFE model. The population for this study was all agricultural education teacher preparation programs (N = 83) listed in the AAAE Directory of University Faculty in Agricultural Education. Data were collected via an…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which cooperating teachers deem required student teaching skills and activities relevant to the agricultural education student teaching experience. The population for this descriptive study consisted of individuals who served as cooperating teachers in Iowa and South Dakota during the last 5…

Historically, university supervisors have struggled balancing their role as a supervisor and evaluator of preservice teachers. A university supervisor's role has transformed to include a greater focus on collaboration between themself and the preservice teacher. This observational case study utilized the Supervisory Options for Instructional…

Agricultural education cooperating teachers (mentors) are idealized as seasoned professionals, proficient in their craft, and able to transmit tacit knowledge to pre-service teachers (mentees) through demonstration, conversation, and coaching. When the relationship is successful both parties experience positive outcomes that may last a lifetime.…

The purpose of this study was to describe the views student teachers in agricultural education at Oklahoma State University had regarding their 12-week student teaching internship. Using Q-methodology as a research approach, 28 interns rank-ordered a Q-set of 36 statements describing various aspects teacher responsibilities and performance. The…

Teaching efficacy beliefs of agricultural science student teachers, and their relationship with their cooperating teachers during field experiences, are variables that may affect the number of student teachers entering the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects implementing structured communication between student…

Teaching efficacy beliefs of agricultural science student teachers during field experiences may affect the number of student teachers entering the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects implementing structured communication between cooperating teachers and student teachers would have on student teachers' self-perceived…

The purpose of this study was to describe student teachers' perceptions and preferences of the type of supervision they experienced while interacting with their university supervisors and cooperating teachers. Results revealed that student teachers perceived both their cooperating teachers and university supervisors to engage in contextual and…

The purpose of the study was to explore student teacher perceptions of the student teacher/cooperating teacher relationship throughout the student teaching experience. The target population of this study consisted of preservice agricultural education students at Texas A&M University. The accessible sample consisted of student teachers in…