Comparing the Effects of Suburban and Urban Field Placements on Teacher Candidates' Experiences and Perceptions of Family Engagement in Middle and High Schools.

Abstract

Two groups of teacher candidates completed a survey based on the Parent Teacher Association’s National Standards for Family–School Partnerships at the start and end of the semester of a general methods course and corresponding fieldwork (practicum) experience. One group of participants ( N S = 60) completed their clinical fieldwork in a suburban middle or high school; the second group (N U = 40) completed fieldwork in an urban school setting. Repeated measures t-tests were conducted for the entire sample and found significant increases from pre- to post-survey in the number of specific ideas shared for welcoming families into the school as well as for communicating with parents and families. A mixed between-within subjects ANOVA was conducted to compare the impact of different semester-long field placements (suburban or urban), finding that urban-placed participants had significantly more ideas about communicating and welcoming families. Implications are addressed, including the role of family engagement in teacher education and the impact of fieldwork placement location.