Positive aspects of the teacher training supervision: The student teachers’ perspective

Abstract

This paper explores the student teachers' perceptions about the most positive aspects of the supervision provided during their teaching practice. The authors developed a study based on the reflections of a group of 224 student teachers about their cooperating teacher's and university supervisor's performance. Student teacher's appraisals regarding their supervisors, the learning and progress perceived as resulting from their co-working with more experienced teachers, and the emotional aspects of this relationship are among the main aspects analysed in the study. Results show the importance attributed to the supervisors' personal features and to the quality of the interactions established with their student teachers. These aspects were clearly regarded as an essential aspect of the student teachers' emotional balance and resistance to the difficulties emerged during their entrance in the teaching profession. Some differences were perceived in terms of the students teachers' evaluations regarding the moment of the practicum (beginning versus end) and the type of supervisor (university versus school). Some enquiry and suggestions for future research emerge as final contributions.

The Emotional Dimension in Becoming a Teacher

“…It follows that not only in K-12 classrooms emotional support is important for students ' learning, but also in college classrooms during teacher education. Caires and Almeida ( 2007 ) came to similar conclusions after analyzing the evaluative refl ections of 224 student teachers on their relation with the cooperating teacher in practicum and the university supervisor. Their analysis, emphasizes the determinant role of the supervisory relationships in the personal and professional development of the prospective teachers.…”

How does it feel to become a teacher? Emotions in teacher education

“…Different practices provided by teacher education might evoke different emotions in student teachers, including encounters with pupils or teacher-educators, undertaking tasks, writing exams or attending classes (e.g. Caires and Almeida 2007;Ketonen and Lonka 2012;Litmanen et al 2012;Timoštšuk and Ugaste 2012). However, empirical evidence on the spectrum of emotions experienced by student teachers and the context of their experience remains scarce (Eren 2013).…”

From anxiety to enthusiasm: emotional patterns among student teachers

“…Positive emotions tend to relate to interaction with pupils, and negative emotions to teacher educators (Timoštšuk and Ugaste 2012). However, student teachers have also been found to experience admiration for teacher educators both in training schools and at university (Anttila et al 2016;Caires and Almeida 2007). There is evidence that the complexity of social interactions during teaching and learning are commonly accompanied by intense emotional experiences among in-service teachers (Bahia et al 2013).…”