Effective teacher education: from student-teacher candidates to novice teachers prepared for urban education

PREPARING TEACHER CANDIDATES TO BE EFFECTIVE URBAN EDUCATORS WHOARE REFLECTIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY byCHAVON L. JACKSON December, 2011Advisor: Dr. Kathleen Crawford-McKinneyMajor: Curriculum and InstructionDegree: Doctor of Philosophy The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent a teacher educationprogram prepares teacher candidates to be effective urban educators who are reflective,innovative, and committed to diversity based on the perceptions and insight from students. Asthe nation grapples with an extreme range of outputs from our public schools, an investigationinto such an integral component of developing effective educators is essential, if not mandatory(Spring, 2009). Given the goals and standards for educators today, teacher educationprograms have to consider their role in this process and determine what is required of them to support teachers who are prepared for multiple experiences and a diverse group of students(Darling-Hammond, 2006). While effective educators challenge themselves to be exemplary inthe field, teacher education programs are equally challenged to provide experiences and the necessary pedagogy that will demonstrate and model the expectations of these teachercandidates.