Examining the Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers Enrolled in a Community College

Abstract

. This multiple-article dissertation examined the perceptions of preservice teachers (PTs) enrolled at a community college. The first study was mixed-methods and examined the perceptions of PTs’ teaching efficacy at a community college. A pre/post-survey was used to determine if differences exist between PTs’ perceptions of teaching efficacy after completing an education course at a community college. No statistically significant difference was found (p = .070). Five student interviews were also conducted at the end of the teacher education course. Themes emerged from the analysis of these interviews suggesting authentic experiences in the teacher education classroom and authentic experiences in the field were seen as valuable to preservice teachers in teacher education courses. Additionally, evidence of developing teaching efficacies were seen through the analysis of the interviews. The second quantitative study explored community college PTs’ perceptions of opportunity to learn about Multiple Literacies (ML) and PT’s confidence to teach those literacies. Statistically significant relationships were noted between each opportunity to learn about a ML and PTs’ confidence to then teach that ML. Furthermore, the study analyzed potential differences in the perceptions of PTs’ at a community college and PTs’ from a 4-year university, as well as their opportunity to learn about ML and then their confidence to teach ML. Community college PT’s reported statistically significantly higher opportunities to learn about Environmental Literacy (p<.001) and Political Literacy (p<.001), while PTs’ at a 4-year university reported higher opportunities to learn digital literacy (p<.05). Similarly, community college PT’s reported statistically significantly higher confidence to teach Environmental Literacy (p<.001) and Political Literacy (p<.05 while PTs’ at a 4-year university reported higher confidences to teach digital literacy (p<.05).