Researchers have some large gaps in what they know about how student-teaching affects teacher-candidates’ skills, according to a review published in the March issue of Review of Educational Research.
The existing body of research tends to focus on development of teachers’ beliefs, rather than on how beliefs translate into practice, or the role that faculty members play in guiding candidates, conclude authors Lauren Anderson and Jamy Stillman, both of the University of Southern California.
The researchers examined peer-reviewed articles published between 1990 and 2010, focusing on articles about student-teaching in schools with many historically underserved students.
In all, 54 studies were analyzed.