The nature and effectiveness of feedback given by cooperating teachers to student teachers

Abstract

Effective feedback from cooperating teachers is a critical component of a successful student teaching experience. Unfortunately, few cooperating teachers are trained to provide specific feedback to their student teachers, and the lack of such communication is one of the most commonly reported problems among field experience students. Using weekly time logs, biweekly questionnaires, and midpoint and final conference interviews, the researcher identified current feedback practices of a group of cooperating teachers selected specifically for that purpose, and examined the congruence between the feedback reported by these teachers and their respective student teachers. This article synthesizes related research literature, reports and interprets the findings of the current study, and suggests recommendations to enhance cooperating teacher feedback practices.