UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Patrizio, Kami M.
Dept./Program:
College of Education and Social Services
Year:
2007
Degree:
Ed. D.
Abstract:
Teacher education reform has provoked much debate in the United States. The Professional Development School (PDS) model of teacher education has several characteristics that hold promise for addressing teacher education reform and school renewal. Mentor teachers play an important role in the PDS community and this dissertation examines their experiences. Specifically, this dissertation study focuses on the ways that the PDS context relates to mentor teachers' epistemological perspectives. The research was a naturalistic, qualitative, embedded case study of a regional PDS affiliated with a research intensive university's secondary teacher education program.
Data collection techniques included 16 interviews, eight observations, and a document review of university PDS program materials. Analysis techniques relied heavily on a phenomenological typology of reflective practice to define the context of the PDS environment. Findings suggest that mentors are more llkely to engage in considerations of others' experiences with learning if they are in a position of power or responsibility, and that reflective practices can be used to illuminate the assumptions, competing ends, and beliefs that influence these epistemologies. Identifying these variable epistemologies and illuminating the reflective ecology of the mentor's situated context emerged as important to consider when creating, assessing and evaluating PDSs.
Data collection techniques included 16 interviews, eight observations, and a document review of university PDS program materials. Analysis techniques relied heavily on a phenomenological typology of reflective practice to define the context of the PDS environment. Findings suggest that mentors are more llkely to engage in considerations of others' experiences with learning if they are in a position of power or responsibility, and that reflective practices can be used to illuminate the assumptions, competing ends, and beliefs that influence these epistemologies. Identifying these variable epistemologies and illuminating the reflective ecology of the mentor's situated context emerged as important to consider when creating, assessing and evaluating PDSs.