Teachers' reflections on their professional development school clinical internship experience: a case study of novice teachers

The following dissertation is a case study delving into the experiences of former interns who completed their clinical practice in a Professional Development School (PDS) and how their teacher preparation impacted their beliefs and practices during their initial in-service years as full-time teachers. The emphasis of this project were the perceptions of two Chelsea PDS former interns whom have successfully completed their internships and are engaged in full-time teaching as second and fourth year educators. Also central to the research agenda was an examination of the impact of the experience within a Professional Development School, based upon the Professional Development School Standards (NCATE, 2001). By investigating the perceptions of these teachers, this study provides insight into how the PDS clinical practice experience impacts the beliefs and practices of teachers. It was found that the experiences of the clinical interns during their clinical internship at a Professional Development School have a lasting impact on their current dispositions and practices once in the field, and contribute to their persistence as educators in the high-needs, urban characteristic context. The themes of leadership, learning community, and dedication were identified across the cases, as well as the importance of the role of the cooperating teacher. Implications of this research and areas for future research are also discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Educational Leadership

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• McCarron, Lindsay

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lee, Valarie

• Interns (Education); Teachers--Training of
• Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration

Repository record dc:identifier

https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/307

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1306