Expectations of A Pre-service Teacher: Implications of Encountering the Unexpected
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 38, Issue 3, pages 207 - 219. (August 2010).
In this article, the author examines the expectations of a group of site-based teacher educators. Each of these teacher educators attempted to support a pre-service teacher who struggled to achieve satisfactory outcomes on their professional placement.
The authors used discourse analysis of teachers' narratives in order to base her personal, partial and dynamic (Mauthner & Doucet, 2003) interpretation of what occurred in these typically emotionally painful events.
The author was also aided with literature related to emotion, power, 'non-traditional' students and Hargreaves' (2001) 'emotional geographies' in attempts to make sense of teachers' stories when viewed through a post-structuralist lens.
The current article is concerned with the bases for strong emotional experiences. The article also raises questions in relation to how we can support teachers make sense of discourses that shape their lives and their emotions, particularly with respect to site-based teacher educators' expectations of their pre-service teacher.
In conclusion, the author provides suggestions to consider for both when working together to develop quality site-based programs for all the participants.