Evaluating Teacher Attitudes in Professional Development Sites

As part of the evaluative process of a program at a professional development site (PDS), 30 participating elementary and middle school teachers were surveyed about their attitudes as participants in a field-based education program partnership. Each teacher was mentor to a preservice teacher for a semester before student teaching, while 10 continued as cooperating teachers during student teaching. Using a Likert-like scale, 32 items sought information on: (1) practical knowledge passed from university instructors through preservice university students to the classroom teacher; (2) differences in instruction and management when more than one adult is in the classroom; (3) teachers' perceptions of students' awareness of teacher training; (4) reflectiveness in professionalism as a teacher educator; (5) difficulties in teaching required skills for state-mandated testing because of involvement as a PDS mentor; (7) the university's role at the collaboration site; and (8) enjoyment of having a PDS preservice teacher. General findings indicate a positive attitude towards participating in a PDS partnership. Results also suggest that teachers were actively interested in integrating university ideas delivered through their PDS preservice teachers. (Contains one table and nine references.) (Author/SLD)