An Examination of Time Allocation in Early Childhood Teacher Candidates’ Clinical Field Placements

ABSTRACT

This research study examines how instructional time is allocated while early childhood teacher candidates are present in mentor teachers’ classrooms as part of clinically-based teacher preparation. Researchers conducted 44 observations in 16 mentor teachers’ classrooms in three public school districts. The observations were quantified and analyzed to shed light on the nature of co-teaching, instructional decision-making, and student-teacher ratios during clinically-based field experiences. The findings reveal that overwhelmingly mentor teachers and teacher candidates use their time together to engage in co-teaching, which creates lower student-teacher ratios and allows for more flexible groupings of students. The study contributes meaningfully to what is known about effective implementation of clinically-based field experiences and suggests implications for positively impacting student learning outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinically-based teacher preparation
• early childhood
• teacher candidates
• mentor teachers
• co-teaching

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Southeast Ohio Teacher Development Collaborative.

Notes on contributors

Sara L. Hartman

Sara L. Hartman is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University.

Michael E. Hess

Michael E. Hess is an Associate Professor of Educational Studies in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University.

Charles L. Lowery

Charles L. Lowery is an Associate Professor of Educational Studies in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University.

Christopher Kennedy

Christopher Kennedy is an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Department of Teacher Education in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University.

Imran Mazid

Imran Mazid is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University.

Madison Paige McClain

Madison Paige McClain is a doctoral student in the Curriculum & Instruction Program in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University.

Cathy Mowrer

Cathy Mowrer is a Professor in the Department of Education at Marietta College.

Marcy Keifer Kennedy

Marcy Keifer Kennedy is the Director of the OHIO Center for Clinical Practice in Education in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University.