Utilizing Action Research During Student Teaching: Should Every Teacher Preparation Program Be Doing This?

Action research has been shown to be effective in a variety of ways for teachers in the classroom setting. While the focus of the action research project has primarily been at the graduate level or tailored to the needs of working professionals, we propose that it is possible to do much more for the student teacher as he or she completes the program requirements through the student teaching experience. Through the incorporation of training in methods of data collection and analysis, student teachers will stand to gain a much greater degree of insight into areas of their professional pedagogical disposition through active reflection. This will develop a reflective habit of mind that is crucial for teachers to be effective in their classrooms and adaptive to the changing needs of their students, and allow for a greater degree of professional self-efficacy and satisfaction on the part of the teachers themselves.