Mason offers a unique approach to learning about those who provide instruction in today’s classrooms in America. He examines current practices in pre-service teacher education through the lens of practicing teachers. The author surveyed and interviewed teachers about their views on pre-service education. The use of two research methodologies allows for the triangulation of data. The survey methodology allows for ... Read morea greater sample size so that the results, in this case the views of teachers, can be better generalized. The interviews provide a qualitative lens to explore the views of a smaller sample of in-service teachers in more depth. The sample was randomly selected from a list of middle and high school teachers in the state of Wisconsin. One thousand teachers were sent the survey and 191 responded (a response rate of 19.1 percent), which resulted in a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of 7.1 percent for the survey results. The author reveals the core beliefs, values, and interests of the teachers interviewed, such as realistic preparation, field experience, classroom management, content preparation, group psychology professionalism, respect, and concern for unprepared student teachers. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections.
CHOICE
In the current highly politicized environment in the United States concerning public education, the conversation between university educators, pre-service teachers, and practicing teachers that is the subject of this book takes on added significance. Kevin Mason’s important work addresses the issues that concern this central conversation in an critically insightful manner, and it should become a central source in the discussion.
Alan A. Block, Journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies, Editor in Chief, Professor of Education Show Less