Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Gordon E. Watts, Ph.D.

Abstract

This qualitative case study exam ines a teacher education specific service- leam ing project conducted at a m id-sized M ississippi River delta university. Participants were preservice teachers in their final m ethods course who worked with at-risk students in small group settings. Participants engaged in the entire teaching process under the supervision o f a university professional. Focusing on concerns o f preservice teachers before the final sem ester o f their education program, after participation in the service-leam ing project, and during their first year as a new teachers, the study asked participants to evaluate the service-leaming project in light o f these concerns. Participants were asked to discuss skills they perceived had or had not improved and/or knowledge gained as a result o f participation in the project. The primary objective o f the service-leam ing project was to allow practical application o f teacher education training to planned experiences in the pre-K-12 classroom with an em phasis on addressing a community need within education to allow mutual development o f those involved. Collected data support the idea that participants felt the service-leam ing project increased their skills and understanding o f assessment, m odification/adaptation, confidence, lesson planning, teaching skills, recognizing success o f their students, incorporating hands-on materials/activities into lessons, pre-assessment, connecting lessons to the lives o f their students, and the role o f m otivation (praise, encouragem ent) in teaching. Overwhelmingly the perceived value o f the service-leam ing project was the teaching experience it provided for preservice teachers.

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