CHANGES IN STUDENT TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF THE STUDENT TEACHER-COOPERATING TEACHER RELATIONSHIPTHROUGHOUT THE STUDENT TEACHING SEMESTER

摘要

The purpose of the study was to explore student teacher perceptions of the student teacher/cooperating teacher relationship throughout the student teaching experience. The targetpopulation of this study consisted ofpreservice agricultural education students at Texas A&MUniversity. The accessible sample consisted of student teachers in agricultural education in fall2004, a group of 33 student teachers. Data were collected via paper instruments at four pointsduring the student teaching semester: 1) the first day of the block; 2) the last day of the block; 3)the midpoint of the J 1-week student teaching experience; and 4) the end of the 11-week studentteaching experience. Two measures were examined: 1) the student teachers' perceptions of theimportance of the relationship and 2) the student teachers' perceptions about the current level ofrelationship exhibited by their cooperating teachers. The typical student teacher in this studywould be a 22 year old white female completing an undergraduate degree. The student teachers'perceptions of the importance of the relationship between student teacher/cooperating teacherdid not change. However, the student teachers' perceptions of their cooperating teacher'scurrent level decreased during the student teaching experience.