Joyce E. Killian

Characteristics of Highly Effective Cooperating Teachers: A Study of Their Backgrounds and Preparation

ABSTRACT This study used interviews and other artifacts collected during student teaching as the basis for rating 13 elementary cooperating teachers on their supervisory effectiveness. Once highly effective cooperating teachers were differentiated from their less effective peers, researchers used ex post facto methods to identify background and intervention factors associated with their effectiveness levels. Three factors consistent in the highly effective group were (1) being midrange in number of teaching years, (2) having supervised more than five earlier field experience students, and (3) having closely collaborated with the university supervisor. However, the most powerful association for high effectiveness was the graduate-level preparation in supervision. Four of the five most effective teachers in this study had masters degrees in teacher leadership, and all had taken course work on systematic observation and feedback, as well as conferencing skills. This deep preparation was associated with an ability to articulate beliefs behind practices and use practices congruent with those beliefs.

The Influence of Supervisory Training for Cooperating Teachers on Preservice Teachers' Development During Early Field Experiences.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine the influence of supervisory training on the cooperating teacher’s role as an instructional supervisor. Trained teachers were the II cooperating teachers who had completed a 3-hour graduate course on the supervision of preservice teachers; untrained teachers were the 25 who had no previous supervisory training. Data indicated that preservice teachers assigned to trained cooperating teachers were significantly more involved with students and received more feedback from their cooperating teachers than did their counterparts.

Quality in the Early Field Experiences: A Product of Grade Level and Cooperating Teachers' Training.

Abstract Data collected for the study indicate that grade level and the supervisory training status of the cooperating teacher affect the quality of the early field experiences. Field experience students likely to have the most active, sequential, systematically evaluated experience were those placed in elementary settings with trained cooperating teachers. The authors discuss planning considerations for teacher educators suggested by this differentiation of quality by grade level and supervisory training.

Grade Level as a Factor in Participation during Early Field Experiences

Killian and Mclntyre detail the differ ences in the participation of elementary and secondary undergraduates as they progressed through a two semester early field sequence. Both groups re corded their activities and their interac tions with students and cooperating teachers on a weekly basis. These re cords indicated that differences oc curred early and persisted throughout the early field components. In general, the elementary majors were more ac tively involved in a variety of teaching activities and were more likelyto engage in discussion of specific teaching and management techniques with their cooperating teachers than were their secondary counterparts. These differ ences are translated into recommenda tions for promoting consistency in the practicum, especially through the im provement of the secondary early field experience.