Pre-service Teachers' Learning to Teach: Theory Into Practice

This study investigated preservice teachers' perceived constraints in implementing their ideal pedagogies and the influence of the teacher education program on their pedagogical beliefs changes. Unique features that the university-based coursework and field experiences had on preservice teachers' learning to teach were also explored. This preservice teacher education program employs constructivist aspects of teacher education and generates applications of constructivism to the practice of teaching. Major findings include: preservice teachers' having traditional pedagogy as the default, recovery of prior beliefs, constraints on implementing constructivist pedagogy, and being overly confident in themselves as teachers. With the influence of constructivist epistemology, these preservice teachers' pedagogical beliefs evolved and were refined over time as they incorporated various constructivist ideas. The benefits and influences of the M.Ed. program's theoretical coursework and the field experiences on these teachers' learning-to-teach experiences are addressed with rich data. The implications for teacher educators as well as for the instructional practices of preservice teacher education programs are discussed. Recommendations for future research are also presented.