Non Traditional Pre-Service Teacher Experiences as Assistant Professional Development Trainers and as Scientific Research Apprentice
A qualitative study was carried out to assess the short-term and long-term benefits derived from theresearch apprenticeship experience by pre-service teachers, graduate research assistants and researchers, from the four IHE that comprise the partnership. To assess short-term benefits, four focus groups, three for future teachers and one for research assistants, and five interviews with researchers who participated in the summer 2006 research program were carried out. To assess longer term benefits, an electronic and mail survey, using a brief questionnaire with open-ended questions, was sent to all 63 pre-service teachers who had participated in the program during three summers. Deductive and inductive categories were used to analyze qualitative data.
A mixed-methods study was used to assess the short-term outcomes from the PD trainer assistantship experience in one of the IHE of the partnership. A survey with closed and open-ended questions was administered to participant pre-service teachers and to trainers; it asked about the contribution of the assistantship to the development of 12 capabilities that the TPP aims their students to develop. A focus group was conducted afterwards with pre-service teachers. Totals for close-ended answers for each item were computed and the capabilities ranked according to these results. Deductive and inductive categories were used to classify qualitative data from the open-ended survey answers and the focus group. Quantitative results were supplemented with details coming from qualitative data.
