Sources of Influence in Preservice Teacher Socialization

ABSTRACT

This paper uses data collected for a national research project, The Study of the Education of Educators, to investigate different sources of influence on the educational beliefs and values of teacher candidates in their initial professonal socialization experiences in 29 teacher training institutions in the USA. Student teaching and cooperating teachers were found to be the most important sources of such influence. School pupils and school teachers other than cooperating teachers in the practice school also demonstrated great potential as sources of influence. The course curriculum on the college campus was found to be less influential than student teaching. The education faculty on the college campus, peer culture among teacher candidates, prior socialization experiences of teacher candidates, and family, relatives and friends of teacher candidates exerted only mild influences.