To what extent do student teachers have the values required for the profession?

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to determine to what extent the values held by student teachers at the start of a university degree programme coincide with the values that practising teachers consider important for their profession. Our findings show that student teachers and practising teachers have different value profiles, and that there is a need for specific values education programmes that address student teachers’ professional needs. Like other students, student teachers emphasise values that refer to the peer group, friendship and leisure.

Keywords:

• values
• citizenship
• student teachers
• teacher education
• professional teachers
• university
• professional needs

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from the Institute of Educational Sciences (ICE) of Universitat Rovira i Virgili (PID-01 PROFID), with the collaboration of Educational Sciences and Psychology Faculty of Universitat Rovira i Virgili, and a grant from the Catalan Ministry of Universities, Research and the Information Society (2009SGR1549).