University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The perceptions of beginning teachers in an urban school: Implications for professional preparations and development

Hines, Mahalia Ann

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19186

Description

Title
The perceptions of beginning teachers in an urban school: Implications for professional preparations and development
Author(s)
Hines, Mahalia Ann
Issue Date
1994
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Manolakes, Theodore
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Education, Teacher Training
  • Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Language
eng
Abstract
  • Five teachers participated in this study, which described their beginning teaching experiences in an urban school and the sources of their knowledge. The purpose of the study was to gain a better understanding of the beginning teachers' experiences and the factors from their life histories that influenced their thinking and shaped skills for teaching in an urban school.
  • The design of this study was based on the naturalist and participant-observer approach to inquiry. Qualitative methods were used for collecting data, with interviews serving as the primary mode. Other sources such as journals, questionnaires, and observations were used to add depth to the study and triangulate the findings. The data was processed using the constant comparative and content analysis method in order to generate the grounded theory.
  • The findings suggest that the teachers view teaching children in urban schools to be different from the children they were prepared to teach. They further suggest that teaching children in urban schools requires specific beliefs and additional skills that can be subsumed under the categories of home and community, managing student behavior, and instruction. Another significant finding was that participant-observation can serve as a powerful staff development tool for schools. The sources of their knowledge varied, with preservice and beginning teaching experiences being most influential.
  • The findings from this study can serve as a heuristic device for teacher educators, beginning teachers, schools, and educational researchers. The primary significance of the study is that it provides a scheme for viewing beginning teachers' beliefs of teaching in urban schools along with sources of their knowledge that can be useful for further inquiry.
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/19186
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 1994 Hines, Mahalia Ann

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