Psychosocial Differences by CTE Discipline and Personality Type in Student Teachers.

Abstract

The cooperating teacher is important in the student teaching process. Literature in education (Lemma, 1993;Posner, 2000;Roe & Ross, 1994;Schwebel, Schwebel, Schwebel, & Schwebel, 1996;Weamser & Woods, 2003), Agricultural Education (Deeds, Flowers, & Arrington, 1991;Edwards & Briers, 2001;Garton & Cano, 1996;Harlin, Edwards, & Briers, 2002;Norris, Larke, & Briers, 1990;Peiter, Terry, & Cartmell, 2005;Schumacher & Johnson, 1990) and Family and Consumer Sciences (Montgomery, 2000) corroborate this statement. There are studies focusing on the student teacher-cooperating teacher relationship aspect of the overall student teaching experience (Kitchel & Torres, in press;Kitchel & Torres, 2005;Montgomery, 2000). From an efficacy standpoint,Knobloch and Whittington (2002)recommend that student and novice teachers need to feel like they are "part of a team of teachers who are supportive to each other in helping students learn" (p. 337). Given the role of the cooperating teacher in student teaching, that relationship becomes paramount to the development and efficacy of the student teacher as they transition to being an in-service teacher.