Beyond content and pedagogical knowledge: A qualitative examination of a teacher preparation program through the eyes of its pre-service teachers

As a result of the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, many teacher preparation programs across the United States are now working toward preparing highly qualified teachers that are able to undertake the rigors of teaching in today's society. The purpose this study was to use a mixed-methods design to examine the student teaching field experience component of a teacher preparation program at a large, urban University. This was done in an attempt to uncover the key components, and possible inadequacies, of the program, from the vantage point of the pre-service teachers. Data was collected via an electronic Discussion Board in which pre-service teachers were able to asynchronously communicate with one another. Qualitative categorization of these postings revealed conversations surrounding 15 distinct constructs. Subsequent quantitative analyses revealed that the Discussion Board participation mainly focused upon the positive nature of the pre-service teachers' instructional and classroom experiences. These results were then closely examined for relationships with current literature and for the ways in which they can be used and interpreted to alter the existing program so that it better meets the needs of students who will teach under the auspices of No Child Left Behind.