A Comparison of Urban Teacher Characteristics for Student Interns Placed in Different Urban School Settings.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there was a difference in the development of effective urban teacher characteristics between student interns placed in either an urban Professional Development School environment or an urban non-Professional Development School environment. Student interns in urban universities with partnerships in n eighboring u rban school districts participated in th is inv estigation. T he Urban Teacher Selection Interview was used to assess 10 characteristics, including (1) Persistence, (2) Values Children’s Learning, (3) Putting Ideas into Practice, (4) Approach to At-Risk Students, (5) Professional/Personal Orientation to Students, (6) The Bureaucracy, (7) Fallibility, (8) Teacher Success, (9) Student Success, and (10) Planning and Organization. Assessments were completed before an d after subjects participated in in ternship ex periences. Using a causal comparative research design, pre- and post-test scores were compared using Descriptive Statistics and an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) statistical procedure. The results communicated that although there were individual growth and declines for the student interns on each of the characteristics, there was not a significant difference between the two groups. The results suggest that a link between the Professional Development School reform effort and the development of effective urban teacher characteristics could not be established.