How Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Urban Students Are Influenced by Field Experiences: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Field experiences hold great promise for preparing candidates for effective urban teaching. This article reviews the research investigating the influence of field experiences on teacher candidates' perceptions of urban students from 1995 to 2010. The 36 articles that met the authors' criteria were organized into three general categories: studies that confirmed previous results of urban field experience research, studies that attempted to explain specific factors that influenced their results, and studies that linked practicing teachers retrospectively to the influence of earlier field experiences. The article describes the project, shares the results of the review, discusses educational implications, and suggests future research directions.