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Positive aspects of the teacher training supervision: The student teachers’ perspective

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Abstract

This paper explores the student teachers’ perceptions about the most positive aspects of the supervision provided during their teaching practice. The authors developed a study based on the reflections of a group of 224 student teachers about their cooperating teacher’s and university supervisor’s performance. Student teacher’s appraisals regarding their supervisors, the learning and progress perceived as resulting from their co-working with more experienced teachers, and the emotional aspects of this relationship are among the main aspects analysed in the study. Results show the importance attributed to the supervisors’ personal features and to the quality of the interactions established with their student teachers. These aspects were clearly regarded as an essential aspect of the student teachers’ emotional balance and resistance to the difficulties emerged during their entrance in the teaching profession. Some differences were perceived in terms of the students teachers’ evaluations regarding the moment of the practicum (beginning versus end) and the type of supervisor (university versus school). Some enquiry and suggestions for future research emerge as final contributions.

Résumé

Cet article explore les perceptions des professeurs-stagiaires à propos des aspects plus positifs de la supervision de leur stage. Les auteurs ont développé une étude appuyée sur les réflexions d’un groupe de 224 professeurs-stagiaires en ce qui concerne la performance de leurs tuteurs de l’université et de l’école. Ces évaluations, centrées sur les différents aspects de la performance de leurs tuteurs, sur les apprentissages et sur les progrès qu’ils ont sentis comme étant le résultat du travail développé en collaboration avec ces enseignants plus expérimentés, et les aspects émotionnels de la relation de tutorat établie apparaissent comme étant les principaux aspects analysés dans cette étude. Les résultats démontrent l’importance attribuée aux caractéristiques personnelles du tuteur et à la qualité des interactions établies avec ses stagiaires. Ces aspects ont été nettement signalés comme étant essentiels à l’équilibre émotionnel du stagiaire et à sa capacité de face aux difficultés inhérentes à son initiation à la profession d’enseignant. Certaines différences ont été détectées au niveau des évaluations des stagiaires selon le moment du stage (début vs. fin) et selon l’institution du superviseur (de l’université vs de l’école). Comme contribution finale, les auteurs font certaines réflexions et donnent quelques suggestions pour des futures études.

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Caires, S., Almeida, L.S. Positive aspects of the teacher training supervision: The student teachers’ perspective. Eur J Psychol Educ 22, 515 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173469

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