The purpose of this research study was to uncover any patterns of experiences provided in teacher preparation programs that pre-service elementary teachers perceive as helpful in boosting confidence before student teaching. There is a lack of experiences known to improve teaching self-efficacy, or the belief in oneself to perform a learned skill…

The purpose of this study was to engage veteran mentor teachers in a professional development experience through the use of stimulated video recall (SVR) sessions to explore and enhance mentor teacher learning processes and outcomes during a student teaching practicum in an elementary school context. The concept of "mentors as learners"…

Cooperating teachers play a critical role in preparing teachers during the student teaching experience. Yet, they are often an undervalued contributor to the conversation of teacher education. This exploratory study highlights the voices of cooperating teachers regarding their perspectives on the student teaching experience. Through a Qualtrics…

Worldwide, male teachers in the Foundation Phase (FP) are a rarity, given the perception that the teaching of younger children is more suited to females than to males. Little research has been conducted in South Africa on the factors that influence men to become Foundation Phase teachers. This study investigated the motives of male student…

Teacher preparation for generalist (non-specialist) elementary teachers in Ontario typically comprises one compulsory music class. In entry surveys, many generalists describe themselves as highly apprehensive about and unconfident in their ability to teach music, confirming previous research. Using narrative inquiry, we explore the stories of both…

This paper examines the potential causes of dissonance amongst primary trainee teachers while undertaking teacher training placements in faith settings. The positioning of this research extends beyond teacher education indicating a significant need to unravel the tensions that exist in a multicultural yet fragmented society. Faith, identity and…

The implementation and teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has improved at all field levels over the past 30 years. STEM education provides a skill set that governs the way we think and behave which helps us solve the challenges the world faces today (Norris, 2021). Therefore, the importance of students learning…

Every citizen has the right to be equipped with scientific literacy to understand and make informed decisions within the discipline of science. Educators can utilize core science teaching practices (CSTPs) to develop scientific literacy. In response, this study identified the CSTPs utilized by preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) to develop…

Due to the teacher shortage, school divisions and educator preparation programs are working collaboratively to provide alternative routes for student teaching to meet licensure requirements (Donitsa-Schmidt & Zuzovsky, 2014; Flynt & Morton, 2009; National Research Council, 2010). This qualitative case study explored the strengths and…

This article reports on how the policy context shaped the development of two elementary preservice teachers' (PSTs) literacy instructional practice. While student teaching emergent bilingual students in urban, high-poverty classrooms that utilized mandated scripted literacy curriculum, PSTs completed edTPA, a Teacher Performance Assessment, for…

This pilot project examines the experiences of a small sample (n = 4) of elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) as they designed and attempted to implement a series of short lessons, or mini-units, using Ozobots or Makey Makeys during their field experience. Results indicated that, despite the fact that none of the PSTs were able to deliver their…

Guided by an inquiry as stance approach, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of early childhood and elementary pre-service student teachers on the impact of the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) on their student teaching experiences. The analysis of an online open-ended questionnaire revealed that the claims made by the edTPA…

This study analyzed elementary preservice teachers' (PST) participation in an equity-oriented digital clinical simulation administered in a science methods course. Using the Teacher Moments' open access platform, PSTs completed the simulation, To Intervene or Not, about two students from historically minoritized communities who appeared disengaged…

This mini-ethnographic study investigated the role of the student-teaching experience on removing student teachers' math anxiety. Data were collected from four elementary student teachers using semi-structured individual and group interviews during the second phase of their student-teaching period. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze…

In 2016, researchers from two educator preparation programs (EPPs) in two differing states (southeast and west) chose to examine the intervention of co-teaching during student teaching that had been in place for 3 years in each of their locals. The researchers wanted to (a) identify and articulate the co-teaching model within the context of each…