AN EXPLORATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS LEVELS OF STUDENT TEACHERS AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF INDIRECT AND DIRECT SUPERVISORY STYLES OF THEIR COOPERATING TEACHER

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between stress levels of student teachers and their perception of "ideal" and "real" supervisory styles of their cooperating teachers. Research questions designed to examine the following relationships were studied: (1) Perception of "ideal" supervisory style of cooperating teachers and student teacher stress the day before student teaching began. (2) Perception of "real" supervisory style of cooperating teachers and student teacher stress seven weeks into each placement. (3) The difference between perception of "ideal" and "real" supervisory styles of cooperating teachers and student teacher stress seven weeks into each placement. (4) Student teacher stress levels the day before student teaching began, at midterm, and at the conclusion of the experience. (5) Selected demographic variables and student teacher stress.;Sample and Method. The sample for the study consisted of 29 special education student teachers and 58 cooperating teachers. Each student teacher was assigned to work with two different cooperating teachers during the sixteen-week experience; both assignments were eight weeks in duration. "Ideal" supervisory style of cooperating teachers and student teacher stress were assessed the day before student teaching began. The Analysis of Cooperating Teacher Supervisory Style Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used respectively to assess these variables. The same instruments were administered to the student teachers, seven weeks into each placement, to assess their perceptions of the "real" supervisory style of their cooperating teachers and their stress levels.;Conclusions. The student teachers "wished for" cooperating teachers who would use indirect styles of supervision. Anxiety proneness and stress levels of the student teachers showed a moderately strong negative relationship to perceived less indirect styles of supervision during the first placement. There was a moderately strong negative relationship between perceived less indirect supervisory styles during the second placement. The relationship between perceived supervisory style and stress was insignificant at this time. Student teacher stress levels declined by about one standard deviation during the sixteen-week placement. Finally, the student teachers seemed to consider the quality (more indirect styles) of the conference to be more critical than the number or amount of time spent in conference with their cooperating teachers.