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entrants and graduates of preparation programs ultimately teach?, and (c) How long do teachers
with different types of preparation continue to teach and are differences in preparation associated
with differences in teachers’ career trajectories? The P3T strives to contribute to the quality of
data regarding teacher preparation and to help answer these important questions. Answers to
these questions may provide a more comprehensive approach to data collection in baseline
monitoring of teacher preparation, and improved opportunities to link data with other aspects of
the public education system – creating a common foundation on which to build research efforts.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to examine P3T (a) teacher candidates’ perceptions about
science/mathematics teaching and learning, and (b) teacher concerns about participating in the
Partnership for Transition to Teaching program. Specifically, the research questions were:
1.
What are the patterns of teacher candidates’ perceptions about teaching after participating
one year in a university-based transitional teacher education program?
2.
What is the nature of teacher concerns about participating in a university-based
transitional teacher education program?
Method
Participants
The P3T recruits, prepares, and places highly-qualified new STEM teachers with a goal
of 30 per year for four years. In the current study, researchers report data from Years 1 to 3 of
the 4 Year project. The recruitment efforts target individuals from groups traditionally
underrepresented in STEM, including minorities, individuals with disabilities, and women. As
part of the grant evaluation plan, participants are surveyed each semester in regard to their
satisfaction with the P3T program, required coursework, and expectations of fulfilling their
teaching obligations. To date, data were available from 108 completed surveys spanning five
semesters. To investigate experiences as a classroom teacher, researchers solicited a subset of all
Year 3 P3T teaching and four agreed to participate in the focus group. Participants were: (a) in
their final year of the teacher education program, (b) granted a state-approved provisional
teaching license prior to their final year of the teacher education program, and (c) teaching
mathematics and/or science at high schools in highly diverse urban school districts located in the
capital city of a southeastern state.
Instrumentation
Program evaluation surveys.
Each semester, all P3T candidates enrolled in coursework
are asked to complete a program evaluation survey comprised of eight sections pertaining to
various aspects of the grant. The relevant sections for this study were the sections on course
satisfaction and fulfillment of teaching obligation. Candidates responded to eight items
pertaining to their courses and two items about obligation fulfillment. The response options for
the course items were either 6-point levels of satisfaction or levels of agreement. The obligation
items were a 5-point level of confidence scale and an open-response item about fulfilling their
commitment.