Assessing and Meeting the Needs of Preservice Teachers: A Programmatic Perspective

Abstract

This investigation offers a programmatic perspective into how a certain group of elementary preservice teachers experienced and evaluated their teacher education program by periodically assessing progress with regard to needs being met. A Likert-scale survey including open-ended responses was administered to 123 elementary preservice teachers at three different points in their program, and in-depth interviews with 10 focus group members were conducted. Survey results indicate that all identified needs were met by the end of the program. Qualitative analyses provide insights into how several aspects of the teacher education program might be further enhanced, leading to four recommendations for teacher education programs in general: (1) require observation in a variety of grade levels, (2) offer a mainstreaming course earlier in the program, (3) provide specific instruction on parent conferences and preparing for the first day of school, and (4) create additional opportunities to have preservice teachers discuss their needs.