A Study of Student Teachers' Reflections on Their Beliefs, Thoughts, and Practices

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to identify critical events that student teachers encountered and to investigate how the interaction between the characteristics of student teachers and their school environment influences their role-assumption strategies. Twenty-seven student teachers (15 elementary and 12 secondary) in three midwestern communities provided data in the form of prepared journal guides, classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires. Analysis of the data over several phases led to a refined theory of beginning teachers' role-assumption strategies. Perhaps the most significant finding from this study is that the interaction of an individual's needs and perceptions of the salient characteristics of the school and classroom environment results in unique, understandable, and adaptive patterns of behavior aimed not just at the goal of developing competence but at that of contributing to improved school practice. Implications for teacher education, supervision practices, and future research are discussed.