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Cooperating Teachers As Models Of Best Practice: Student Teachers' Perceptions, Connie B. Melder

Doctoral Dissertations

The selection of expert, effective cooperating teachers who can foster successful student teacher experiences and serve as primary role models for teacher candidates is central to the success of student teaching. However, a lack of consensus exists among education professionals on a standardized definition of effective cooperating teachers. The purpose of this dissertation study was to determine if student teachers' perceptions of cooperating teachers' modeled actions of professional standards differed across four certification grade bands: (a) early childhood certification (grades PK-3), (b) elementary certification (grades 1-5), (c) secondary content (grades 6-12) certification in English, mathematics, science, and social studies, and …